Gibbs' Test
by Jenny wrens
Summary: Aimee is continuing to act out, pick fights and run away, dragging Janessa with her. Gibbs is reaching the end of his rope...not to mention his patience. Add to this Jenn's 14-year-old niece and a missing Marine recruit and this just might be the biggest test Gibbs has ever undergone. (Complete but stay tuned for the next installment that will begin with Makayla and her parents)
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello, Readers,**_

 _ **This would be part three of my one-shot story "The Interruption" I just love this Universe. I adore Aimee and Janessa, and I love Gibbs as a dad!**_

 _ **So, here is another story about Aimee...just working out her relationship with Gibbs, and learning to trust.**_

 _ **Aimee will be taking Gibbs on a journey and testing him well and beyond his limits. Let's face it; kids do that to us. Some of my stories reflect true life and some of the things Janessa and Aimee do and say are just echoes of my kids. But, most has been embellished for the fun of it. :)**_

 _ **I do not know how long the story will be or how deep I will dig into it. I'm just letting my muse play and we'll see where she takes me.**_

 _ **Enjoy and please review.**_

 ** _Many blessings,_**

 ** _Jenny Wrens_**

Janessa lay on the floor in the middle of the bullpen drawing pictures on paper. She heard the elevator ding and twisted around to see who was getting off. She smiled when she saw Tony and jumped to her feet, running to greet him. Tony's face lit up into a large grin, and he scooped her up into his arms, planting a kiss on her head.

"How's my favourite monster?" he asked.

Janessa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him square on the lips.

"Wow! That was some kiss," he commented with a grin.

"That's not a kiss, Tony," she explained in a tone that told him he should know the difference. "It's a lip smack."

"Oh, my bad. What's the difference?"

She rolled her eyes. "Kisses are quiet and you can't hear 'em. Lip smacks are really loud!" And she proceeded to demonstrate by kissing him again, making a very loud smacking noise with her lips.

Tony grinned and planted a loud kiss on her neck dissolving her into giggles. He looked up briefly to see Ziva smirking at him from her desk.

"Tony, "Janessa said, grabbing him by the cheeks and turning his face to look at her. "Are alligators dangerous?" She looked at him very seriously, her blue eyes as round as blueberries.

Taken aback, Tony swung her to one hip and carried her to his desk area, standing her on his desk as he set down the things he had in his hand.

"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say they're dangerous. I mean I sure wouldn't want to mess with one at dinner time."

Janessa danced on top of his desk, her shoes making clicking noises. Tony smirked at her and kept one hand poised to catch her should she take a nose dive off his desk.

"Tony, everybody at NCIS takes the alligator at lunch," she said as she danced. " You just gots off it."

Tony looked at the small youngster with a confused look on his face. Ziva snickered as she walked over to rescue Janessa off the top of Tony's desk.

"It is called an elevator, Janessa, not an alligator," Ziva corrected, setting her feet on the floor. "And Tony should not let you stand on his desk. It is not safe."

Janessa wrinkled her nose. "That's what I said, Ziva. An alligator." The child repeated the word again.

"Elevators are perfectly safe, little one," assured Ziva, returning to her desk.

Tony hung up his jacket and sat at his desk. Janessa climbed up into his lap and started punching letters on his keyboard.

"Except when they're not." Tony made a face at Ziva which was lost on Janessa.

Ziva poked her tongue out at him which only encouraged him to continue on with his teasing.

Janessa watched as he put his sidearm and badge in his top drawer and shut it.

"Are guns dangerous?"

"Yup, especially to little girls. I better not catch you going in my drawer either," warned Tony, looking over the file folders sitting atop his desk

"I won't," promised the little girl. "Daddy says he will give me a trip over his knee if I does anything dangerous."

Tony smirked. "Well, it's a good thing you're double checking on what's dangerous. I hear knee trips are no fun at all."

Janessa's face was deadpan. "Not even a little."

Tony booted up his computer and looked over the top of the monitor towards Ziva. "Any new cases?"

Ziva shook her head. "No. Just a bunch of cold cases on the agenda for today, I am afraid."

Tony groaned. Cold cases were not anyone's idea of fun either.

"Where's McGeek?" asked Tony, noticing that the younger agent was absent from his desk. Tony tried to keep Janessa's fingers out of all his drawers. The little girl was quick to find a pen and a stack of sticky notes. She slipped off his knee and stood beside him, content to draw.

"Abby called him down to her lab. Something about Major Mass Spec having caught a virus."

Tony whistled. "Whoa; I do not envy McGeek down there with Abby when the Major is sick."

"Tony, are staplers dangerous?" asked Janessa reaching out to grab the stapler.

Tony stood to reach a file folder out his cabinet behind him. He settled down in his chair, ready to be bored to death doing paperwork all day. "Nope, not unless you staple your finger."

Janessa stapled her paper and handed it to Tony.

"What's this?"

"It's a ticket."

"A ticket?"

"Yup."

Tony ripped open the sticky note and read it. "I owe you $2 dollars?"

"Uh huh."

"Why?"

Janessa climbed up on his lap and then crawled up onto his desk. Tony's mouth gaped open as he watched her. She stood to her feet and started to dance again, her shoes making a clicking noise and his papers going flying onto the floor. "For watching me dance, silly."

Tony stood up and snatched her off the desk in one swoop. He cradled her in his arms and started kissing her very loudly all over her face. She screeched and dissolved into a fit of giggles as Tony swung her around the room. Ziva looked up and watched them in amusement.

"If Gibbs comes in, you will both be in danger." Ziva laughed.

Tony stopped swinging Janessa around and dropped her feet to the floor. The little girl kept giggling as she watched Tony return to his desk. Tony reached into one of his drawers and pulled out two crisp dollar bills, holding them out towards her. Janessa skipped over and accepted the money.

"That's your cute allowance."

"What's that?"

Tony sat down once again. "It's money you get just for being cute." He winked at her and she laughed.

"Where is the Boss-man, anyway?" asked Tony as he settled back in to get some work done. Janessa plopped down on the floor once more, content to colour.

Ziva shrugged as she too refocussed on her assigned tasks. "I do not know. Gibbs dropped Janessa off with me and took Aimee with him to Interrogation room 6."

Tony frowned. "Room six? Isn't that a storage room?"

Ziva shrugged.

"Aimee runs away again," commented Janessa from the floor.

Tony peeked over his desk to see the little girl lying on her stomach drawing rainbows on the money he'd given her.

"Again? What happened, Ness?"

Janessa kicked her feet up and down against the floor as she coloured but didn't look at him. "She was 'posed to make her bed this morning but she didn't. Mr. Gibbs said she gots to stay in her room 'til she makes it. Aimee didn't want to so she gots mad." Janessa stood up and walked over to Tony, handing him a picture she'd drawn. "That's a picture of you and Timmy."

Tony accepted the picture and smirked at it. Stick figure McGee had his hands stuck to his keyboard and stick figure Tony was laughing at him. It was clear who was who by the way she had drawn the picture. "Daddy says gluing Timmy's hands to the 'puter keys is naughty, Tony."

Tony bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud. "So, how did Aimee get from being mad at your dad to running away?"

"Mr. Gibbs said she gots to go to bed early tonight because she didn't make her bed. Aimee yelled at him real loud and threw her shoe at him. She hits him right in the head." Janessa smacked herself in the head to demonstrate.

"Oh, boy, bet Gibbs wasn't very happy about that?"

Janessa shook her head. "Nope."

"Then what happened?" prompted Tony.

Janessa put her hands on her hips. "Then she runs away."

"By herself or did you go too?"

Janessa chewed on her bottom lip sheepishly and sighed. "No, I goes too."

Tony sighed as well. "Of course," Tony muttered under his breath. "I thought your dad told you to say no to Aimee when she ran away?"

Janessa ran her small hand over her face to sweep her hair from her blue eyes. "I did says no," She shrugged her shoulders and sighed dramatically. "But she just made me goes anyways."

Tony frowned. "She can't force you to go with her, Nessie."

Janessa's eyes got really big. "Oh, yes, she can so." Janessa shook her finger at him. "She says I gots to listen to her cuz she's the boss, and if I don't goes with her a lizard will eat my gizzard." Janessa knit her brows together. "I don't even know what a gizzard is but I don't think letting it get eat by a lizard is good thing, do you?"

Tony sighed and looked at Ziva who shrugged her shoulders. Neither one of them wanted to touch that explanation with a ten-foot pole.

"Thanks for the picture, Ness. I better get some work done now."

Reflecting on what Janessa had told him, Tony stood up and reached on top of his cabinet for some files. One of the folders slipped from his hands and disappeared down the wall behind the cabinet, just out of his reach. Janessa stood watching him. Tony pulled his swivel chair over and stood on it to reach his lost paper. Janessa's eyes widened as the chair twisted and turned under his feet.

"Tony, that's dangerous! If Mr. Gibbs catches you, he might spank you," Janessa admonished.

Ziva snickered and Tony glared at her in return. He managed to reach his escaped folder and then jumped to the floor with a triumphant look on his face.

"I don't think that rule applies to me, Nessie."

Just then Gibbs walked into the bullpen with Aimee following behind him looking as mad as a hornet.

"You sure about that, DiNozzo?" he said gruffly.

Tony's face reddened as he sat down quickly at his desk. "Yes, Boss; I mean no, Boss."

Gibbs sat down at his desk and pulled up a chair beside him. He looked at Aimee sternly and pointed to the chair. "Sit."

Aimee sat but glared at him mutinously.

"Don't move!"

Aimee crossed her arms and harrumphed.

Janessa walked across the room and stood in front of her sister, sympathy swimming in her eyes. She leaned in close and whispered something into Aimee's ear. Aimee pushed her sister away with a groan.

"No, Ness; he's waiting to kill me at home where there won't be any witnesses."

Gibbs glared at her again.

Janessa wandered over to Gibbs and leaned against him as he looked at his computer screen. Gibbs put an arm around her and pulled her in close while he worked. The bullpen was quiet for several minutes before Gibbs looked up once again. Aimee's arms were crossed across her chest, and she was still glaring at him. Gibbs sighed, just grateful that she wasn't shouting at him anymore. His chat with her in private had been fruitless. He merely wanted to see what had put her in such a foul mood this morning, but she refused to cooperate with him. He knew he needed to follow through on disciplining her regardless but he didn't have to be happy about it and NCIS certainly wasn't the place to do that. It would have to wait until he could get away for a couple of hours.

"Where's McGee?"

"Major gots a cold, daddy," explained Janessa chewing on her lip with a worried expression on her face.

"I see." Gibbs stood up once more, rubbing the back of his neck. A quick glance at the clock told him that it was barely past 8:30 am and already he was fighting a losing battle with Aimee. Things had to give. He couldn't allow this constant quibbling between them to continue. Anytime he asked Aimee to do something she didn't want to do, they ended up in this position.

"DiNozzo."

"Yah, Boss."

"I'm taking Janessa to daycare. Keep an eye on Aimee for me. Ziva, if she moves use those infamous Mossad skills and tie her to the chair." Gibbs groused as he tossed a warning glance in his oldest blond-haired daughter's direction.

"Pretty sure that's against the law, Gibbs," sneered Aimee, huffing loudly.

"I won't tell anyone, and neither will they."

Aimee narrowed eyes and shook her head in disgust.

"Uh, we'll watch her for you, Boss," assured Tony, scowling at Aimee and giving her the 'cut it out' signal from afar.

Gibbs nodded, obvious frustration lingering on his face as he took Janessa by the hand and disappeared around the corner.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Tony waited several minutes before he got up to speak with Aimee. He wanted to make sure Gibbs was out of hearing distance. He didn't want to risk a concussion from the man, but more than that he wanted to give Aimee some time to simmer down. The expression on her face told him to keep his distance. Aimee was very angry, and he wasn't sure he wasn't to mess with her when she was so irate. Tony and Ziva's eyes made contact and he nodded his head in Aimee's direction, indicating that Ziva should make the first move. Ziva shook her head and looked down at her computer once more. Damn it, thought Tony. Women were supposed to be more nurturing by nature and know how to handle kids. Ziva looked more like a frightened jackrabbit whenever Aimee lost her cool.

Tony pulled a package of skittles out of his desk and casually sauntered across the room to Aimee's side. She had put her head down on Gibbs' desk and was silently rolling her forehead back and forth. Tony sat on the edge of Gibbs' desk and put the package of candy in front of her head.

"Candy usually cheers me up. Want some?"

Aimee lifted her head and rested her chin on her arms, glaring at Tony.

"Go away!"

Tony flinched. "I've never been in Interrogation room 6 before. Just what's in that room anyway? Scuttlebutt says there's a 200-pound purple dinosaur in that room. Is it true?"

Aimee lifted her head and scrunched up her face as she stared at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"You know? That talking, singing dinosaur from 1990's television? What's his name? Barlett? Barker?" Tony waved a dismissive hand, not remembering the name. "Agent Tanner told me that Station 13 stores their life-sized, stuffed, purple dinosaur in room 6. Gibbs never lets anyone in there to see. As far as I know, he's the only one who even has a key to that room."

Aimee shook her head incredulously.

"Why would Gibbs have a key to a room with a purple dinosaur?" she asked looking completely bewildered.

Tony shrugged. "You're asking me? I'm not the one who went in Interrogation room 6 with him. How should I know?"

Aimee rolled her eyes. "Tony, there is no purple dinosaur!" she said in exasperation.

Tony frowned. "Really? You're not just trying to pull the wool over my eyes?"

"What wool? The only things in that room are a table and a bunch of chairs."

"No dinosaur?" Tony looked crushed at the news.

She shook her head. "No." Aimee looked at him again, this time with a smile playing on her lips.

Tony returned the smile. "Glad to see a hint of those pearly whites, Babydoll."

The smile grew larger as Aimee reached out and smacked his arm playfully. "You're such a jerk, Tony."

Tony chuckled. "I know. It's a tough job but somebody has to do it." He handed her the candy again and she took it.

This time Ziva came over and joined them, looking a bit more at ease now that Tony had broken the tension in the room.

"Do you want to talk about what is bothering you, Aimee?"

Tony stood to his feet, holding his hands up to stop the conversation from proceeding any further. "Campfire."

Ziva cast him a dirty look but sighed and walked back to her desk to get her chair.

"Tony, you can't have a campfire inside," said Aimee giving him an annoyed look.

Tony slipped behind her, pulled out the chair she was sitting on and wheeled her to the centre of the bullpen.

"Au contraire, ma petite amie. At NCIS, we can have a campfire anytime we please."

Tony grabbed his chair and met Ziva and Aimee in the middle. The three of them sat looking at each other.

"A NCIS campfire is a spur-of-the-moment time of sharing information," explained Tony. "Now, spill the beans, my friend, and Ziva and I will do our best to help you escape the wrath of Jethro Leroy Gibbs."

Aimee popped a few of the chewy candies into her mouth and sighed.

Ziva rested her chin in her hands. "Is there a good reason for running away this time?"

Aimee shrugged.

"I thought you and Gibbs were getting along. What happened?" asked Tony, reaching over and fishing out a few candies from Aimee's package, popping a few in his mouth. "Abbs said he even took ya bowling."

"He did," admitted Aimee.

"Then what happened this morning?" asked Tony.

"He wanted me to make my bed."

Tony swallowed. "And?"

"I didn't want to make my bed. It's stupid. You're just going to mess it up again when you get back in it tonight. What's the point of making it?"

Tony looked at Ziva and shrugged. "The kid's got a point…"

Ziva punched his arm. "Shut up, Tony."

Tony rubbed his arm. "Hey, ouch!"

"Aimee, making your bed is just a chore parents give kids. Everyone makes their bed in the morning, even Gibbs. It is just part of a morning routine. And frankly, that is a silly reason to get into a fight with your dad. Something tells me there is more to this than just not wanting to make your bed, yes?"

Tony rubbed his arm. "Everyone makes their bed in the morning? Did I miss the memo?"

Ziva reached out and punched his arm again. Tony wheeled backward to avoid further onslaughts from the former Mossad agent.

Aimee giggled.

"Stop punching me, Ninja Chick."

Ziva glared at him.

"See, even Tony thinks it's dumb to have to make your bed every morning, and he's a grown-up."

"That is debatable," muttered Ziva. "Aimee, I do not think you are angry because of Gibbs wanting you to make your bed. I think something else is bothering you."

Aimee crossed her arms, anger settling in on her features once again.

Tony sobered and pulled her chair closer to her. "C'mon Squirt, you can tell us; we're not going to go all Gibbs on you."

Aimee fiddled with her fingers. "I need to know," she mumbled softly.

"Need to know what?"

More fidgeting. Ziva drew closer to her as well.

"HowbadIcanbe…" she mumbled so quickly that both Ziva and Tony all but missed it.

"Slow that down and try again, Aims," encouraged Tony.

Aimee tsked and stood to her feet, wandering out of the campfire. She crossed her arms and turned to face Ziva and Tony, blinking back tears.

"I might be young but I'm not stupid, okay?"

"What's that supposed to mean," asked Tony swiveling his chair around to face her.

"When Jonathan married my mom, he was real nice to us but it didn't last. I need to know when Gibbs is going to stop playing nice too." Tears swam in her eyes as she allowed herself to be vulnerable with them.

Ziva and Tony exchanged a look, both of them caught off guard and not really knowing what to say in response. There was an awkward silence that filled the bullpen as tears began to escape down Aimee's cheeks.

Tony cleared her throat and stood up. He took a few steps towards Aimee and pulled her into a hug. She didn't fight him but allowed herself to melt into the embrace. None of them knew much about Janessa and Aimee's previous life. Being that her mother and step-father were both in the Navy, they traveled a lot, and the Navy didn't have many details about the girls…not even medical records. Aimee was homeschooled and had never even attended a school at any of the bases they were stationed at. They just didn't have much to go on when it came to the girl's history. They had discovered some evidence of abuse but nothing concrete and neither girl spoke much about their previous lives. Janessa seemed to blend her memories, mixing up recollections from the past with things now. Aimee refused to discuss the past and no one pushed it. There had been a lot of changes in the girl's lives, and while Gibbs had complete legal guardianship of the girls, he was still working behind the scenes to adopt them.

"Gibbs is never going to stop playing nice. I've known the man for a long time, and Gibbs is pure gold. You can trust him," assured Tony. "I've screwed up more times than I care to admit, but the boss man never gives up on me. Aims, look at me." Tony lifted the girl onto Gibbs desk so he could lean in close and be eye to eye with her. "Gibbs isn't going anywhere, and he's never going to stop loving you no matter what you do."

Aimee licked her lips and wiped away traitorous tears. "You don't know that for sure, Tony."

Ziva walked over and put a comforting hand on the young girl's knee. "We know, Aimee. So many things have happened to us, things we cannot discuss with you, but we know Gibbs has our back on everything. It does not matter what we do, he is going to be there. He might act all gruff and mean but underneath that he is a kind and gentle man. I think you know that too."

Aimee shook her head. "No, I don't! Not for sure!" she insisted, tears blurring her vision. "If I'm bad enough, he might..."

"No, Aimee. Save yourself the hassle and just trust us. Gibbs is true blue. Nothing you can do or say is going to change how much he loves you. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have limits. He's human just like the rest of us. If you keep pushing him, you're going to see a side of him you don't want to see. And that won't be his fault, will it?" Aimee chewed on her lip quietly listening and taking in Tony's words.

"Aimee, you should really just talk to Gibbs about this. Tell him how you are feeling," suggested Ziva. "Would that not be better than making him angry with you?"

Aimee pushed Tony away and slipped down to the floor. Tears glistened in her eyes and uncertainty lingered on her face.

"No! He'll think I'm being dumb."

Tony took a few steps backward and ran his hand through his hair. "Aimee…"

Aimee shook her head. "No, I don't want to talk about it anymore. Just leave me alone!"

She took a few steps sideways and started to run from the room.

Ziva reached out to stop her. "Hey, running away will only make things worse."

Aimee yanked her arm away. "Leave me be!" she shouted and took off.

Tony and Ziva exchanged an exasperated look and sighed. It was certainly turning out to be one hell of a day for everyone.


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs rounded the corner heading towards the cafeteria. In the back of his mind, despite his frustration with the morning events, he wanted to do a little something to cheer up his Goth girl. He knew she would be distraught over her mass spectrometer being on the fritz. Her lab was her home away from home and her diagnostic tools were like her babies. He didn't envy McGee dealing with her anxious, high strung panic. Gibbs didn't know if he should do something to rescue Tim or something to calm down Abby. Deciding to get Tim a latte and Abby a Caf-Pow was his solution. It wasn't much but maybe it would help ease the events of the morning. He wished he had a coffee. The coffee at the cafeteria was not coffee in his opinion. He just hadn't had time with the events of this morning. Caffeine was cathartic especially when he couldn't indulge in Bourbon.

Getting ready for work, and having the babysitter cancel at the last moment had thrown his morning into disarray. Add to that an Aimee size temper tantrum over making her bed, of all things, had just spiraled him into a grumpy mood. Then when he slipped down to the basement to quickly grab something, he returned to find both girls gone. Again. Thankfully he was able to quickly pinpoint their whereabouts by the tracker he'd attached to Janessa's backpack. The cute pink unicorn keychain created by Abby and Tim doubled as a handy little GPS, and no one was the wiser except now Gibbs could use his phone to quickly find them.

Aimee had been beyond irate when he'd pulled up beside them walking down Fairmile Street, several kilometers from home. He hadn't had the time to fully deal with the situation but merely told them to get in the car. They drove to NCIS in silence. Once to work, Gibbs had attempted to talk with Aimee privately, but it was a lesson in futility. Simply put, Gibbs was at a lost. He felt like Aimee was forcing his hand, and he didn't like to be tested. Frankly, it irritated the crap out him, on both a personal and professional level.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs blinked, realising he was standing outside the cafeteria lost in thought. He looked up to see Jenny coming out of the cafeteria carrying a bagel and coffee.

"Hi, Jenn."

Jenny sipped her coffee and sighed. "Somehow they need to invent a caffeine drip."

"Rough night?"

Jenny nodded. "I was up in MTAC until 3 am this morning."

Gibbs lifted a brow. "Big case coming in?"

Jenny snickered and shook her head. "I wish. I was talking to my sister."

Gibbs' eyes widened. "How is Julia?"

"You mean besides a pain in my ass?"

Gibbs smirked. Heather _Julia_ Sheppard was Jenn's older sister and had been a thorn in her side since the day she was born. It seemed that Jenny had spent her whole life trying to measure up to her perfect sister, the sister who became the perfect high profile attorney, who married the perfect man and had 2.5 perfect kids. Gibbs had heard enough about Julia through the years that he felt he knew her.

"What's up with Julia?"

Jenny sighed. "She and her husband need to leave the country on important business and they want me to take Makayla."

"So, what's the big deal? Aren't Julia's kids perfect?"

Jenny gave him a dirty look. "That's not the point, Jethro. I know nothing about kids. Makayla is 14 years old. How am I supposed to parent a teenager?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Don't look at me. I can't figure out my own kids let alone yours."

Jenny scowled at him. "She's not my kid!" Gibbs' pained expression made her soften and snap out of her own sullen mood. "Hey, something wrong? You look more tired than me and that's saying something."

Gibbs sighed. "Just Aimee taking off again, dragging Ness with her."

"Oh, Jethro, you need to nip that in the bud before something happens to them."

"You think I don't know that, Jenn?" His voice sounded gruffer than he meant it too.

Out of the corner of his eye just then, he saw something red streak around the corner. His quick eye and ninja-like reflexes enabled him to snag a certain nine-year-old girl as she was attempting to sneak into the cafeteria. Jenny's mouth dropped in bewilderment when she realised that Gibbs had caught Aimee.

"How did you do that?" She asked. She hadn't even seen the child. She had been so intent on their conversation.

Gibbs cast an irritated glare at Aimee as he turned to face Jenn. "It's called being a field agent, Jenn. See why I don't want to sit behind a desk every day? I'd lose my edge."

"Lemme go!" whined Aimee, looking insulted that she'd be caught.

Gibbs released his hold on her arm and put his hands on his hips. "Thought I ordered you to stay put in the bullpen?"

"I'm not one of your dumb agents you can order around, Gibbs!" she snapped.

Gibbs grimaced at her flippant words. "Besides the fact that my agents know better, the only difference between an order given to you and one given to them is that I can't spank them."

Jenny choked back a laugh. Gibbs gave her a dirty look.

"Um, if you two will excuse me, I need to get to work, as do you, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs frowned as his arms dropped to his side. "It's solid cold cases today, Director Shepard. I'm taking a few hours off this morning if that's okay with you. I have some business to attend to at home." He narrowed his eyes at Aimee as he spoke.

Jenny waved a dismissive hand as she walked away. "Play nice, Agent Gibbs."

"I always play nice with others," he quipped sardonically. "And, Jenn, I look forward to meeting Makayla."

Gibbs saw Jenny pause her step before standing up straighter and continuing to walk away. He knew the only reason he didn't feel her wrath on him was that Aimee was standing there, which made him smirk just a little. If he was going to be miserable figuring out parenthood, Jenn might as well join him. After all, misery loved company, didn't it?

Aimee stomped her foot in annoyance as she glowered at Gibbs, not looking the least bit concerned about being caught. Gibbs gave her the best steely look he could muster.

"What?" she snapped.

"What is going on with you, Aimee? Why are you being so difficult?"

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are. This morning I asked you to make your bed and you acted like I asked to cut the lawn with scissors. What's up?"

Aimee took a few steps back, and Gibbs realised he was raising his voice much louder than he intended. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He reached down and firmly took her by the hand.

"C'mon, we're going home so we can discuss this further."

Aimee yanked her hand away. "NO!"

Gibbs went to reach for her hand again and she backed up more, just out of his reach.

"Aimee." His voice held a clear warning in it.

"No, I'm not going with you? Why would I? You already said you're going to hit me. Why would I be so stupid to go with you willingly? Screw you!" Aimee turned on her heel and took off running.

Gibbs sighed and shook his head, calling after her. "Aimee, come back right now!"

"No! Go to hell!" she screamed as she kept running.

"Damn it," muttered Gibbs.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Over the past six months or so, Aimee had spent many hours bouncing around the halls of NCIS. She had gotten to know the building really well. While Janessa could go to the daycare program, Aimee was too old so that usually meant that she was passed from Agent to agent throughout the day. Most days, she was able to find things to keep herself busy. NCIS was a pretty happening place most days with so many Navy criminal cases being investigated by all the various teams. A criminal investigation was a pretty fascinating thing when it didn't directly involve your life personally. Aimee had been through so much though. Her whole life had been tossed upside down. Her mother was murdered. She'd found out her biological father was some huge bigwig with the FBI but was really just a scum ball and had used her for his own agenda. And Aimee had a few secrets of her own. Secrets involving her stepfather who always loved Janessa but never her. Aimee had plenty of mystery in her past and none of it she cared to share with anyone. Aimee was content to take care of Janessa and herself. She had been doing it for as long as she remembered. And she would continue to it. Despite Gibbs.

Aimee found a quiet spot to sit and hide, between a stairwell and a wall. Even a roaming security camera would be hard-pressed to find her where she sat. She pulled her knees up to her chin and blinked back tears. Gibbs was confusing and that made him dangerous. He said he wanted to adopt them and be their dad. Aimee knew that it was all a trick. It had to be. Why would a man like Special Agent Gibbs want kids? He was old. He was used to living alone. Aimee just couldn't allow herself to believe anything he said. Her stepfather had tricked her mother, hooked them both into believing he was a good man who would love and protect them. It had been a lie. Jonathan hadn't wanted her. Not ever. And Aimee was convinced it would be the same with Gibbs. If she was bad enough, he would stop being nice, just like her stepfather had. It was only a matter of time. The longer they stayed with him, the more Janessa got close to him and the more hurt they both would be.

Tears escaped down her cheeks and she angrily wiped them away. She needed to take Janessa and run away for good. No messing around. Just go as far away as they could get. Aimee sat up and poked her hand in her pocket. She pulled out some money that she had shoved in there earlier. She had been pilfering cash whenever she could…some from Tony's desk where he put it, from Ziva's purse when she wasn't looking, from Gibbs dresser, from Abby's office drawer…she'd been doing it for so long that she stopped feeling guilty about it. It was a necessity if they were to survive. Together with what she had hidden under her floorboard at home, she must have collected over $200 dollars. That would be plenty to live on for a while, she thought.

"Aimee!" She heard a voice call her.

She recognised it as Gibbs' voice so she made herself even smaller to keep him from seeing her.

"Come out now! Enough is enough!" His voice sounded angry and impatient.

She gulped.

Gibbs sighed. "Kid, you are really trying my patience."

Tears continued to fall down her cheeks. She held her breath as she saw him walk past where she was hiding. She sighed in relief when he continued by and out of the area where she was sitting. She scooted her bottom sideways and when she figured the coast was clear, she took off running in the opposite direction.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Gibbs returned to the bullpen to find it vacant save McGee. Tim sat at his desk looking painfully somber.

"Where's DiNozzo and David?" Gibbs groused.

McGee's face paled. "I don't know, Boss. They weren't here when I came in."

Gibbs stalked to his desk and sat down.

"Get me security footage of every exit!" he barked at McGee.

"Boss?" questioned Tim, wondering what was going on.

"Aimee's taken off again. I alerted security to keep an eye out but she's as slippery as an eel. I don't want to her to slip past anyone."

Tim brought up the security cameras on the big screen. The monitor flipped through several screens every few minutes.

"She won't go far without Janessa," assured Tim, trying to calm his boss's nerves.

Gibbs did find comfort in that. Janessa was safely signed into Daycare and no one but an adult could sign her out. This time of day, he felt fairly confident no one would do that until lunchtime. He knew both Jimmy and Ducky had a habit of absconding with the little girl at dinner time, both loving the little girl's company. In fact, more times than not, when he went to get her for lunch, the little blond-haired charmer was signed out by one of his team. He'd given up trying to stop them and figured as long as she was eating well, he'd let her be enjoyed by all around her. He always found out about her escapades in great detail in the evening before bed. It was usually an enjoyable part of his day.

Gibbs searched the screens silently hoping to find a hint of Aimee's red UnderArmour sweatshirt, his head beginning to ache from tension. He wasn't sure he was going to survive until the New Year when he could put the girls in school. It was already late October and his patience was wearing thin.

"Did you manage to nurse the Major back to health?" asked Gibbs, looking up to see Tim looking as equally morose as him.

Tim shook his head. "No, Boss."

Gibbs' nodded with compassion. "Bullpen a safer spot for you, McGee?"

Tim licked his lips. "Abby is freaking out. She's on the phone with technical support, and she is literally screaming at the guy. Talk about shooting the messenger. Abby should never have kids, Boss. She is way too scary when her machinery is malfunctioning. I can't imagine what she'd be like if she had a sick kid."

Gibbs half-smirked, keeping his eye on the monitor. He lived with Abby, and he'd seen her freak out when one of the girls had injured herself. Not a fun time.

Just then Tony and Ziva wandered back into the bullpen. Tony approached Gibbs sheepishly. He opened his mouth to explain but Gibbs held up a hand.

"Save it, DiNozzo. I'm not blaming you for Aimee taking off."

The man looked relieved. "Ziva and I searched all over, Boss. We couldn't find her."

Ziva sat at her desk. "Something is bothering her, Gibbs. Please tread carefully with her."

Gibbs looked at Ziva quietly, her dark eyes shimmering in concern. One thing he appreciated about Ziva was her ability to sense things. Call it a sixth sense. Many times she couldn't express what she has felt but the uncanny ability she had to sense it was worth listening to. Gibbs scratched the back of his head feeling defeated. Lately, he just felt like a complete failure at the whole parenting thing. Not that he was having any second thoughts about keeping the girls; not at all. He was committed. He loved them and his heart was so already far gone that he'd never be able to find himself again apart from them. The trouble was he was certain he just sucked at parenting and that didn't bode well for any of them. Kids should come with detailed instructions.

"Hey, there she is!" Tony walked towards the monitor just as Gibbs phone rang. Gibbs followed Tony's line of sight as he picked up his line. Aimee was in Interrogation Room one.

"Yeah, Gibbs." As distracted as he felt, he assumed a completely professional pose.

He tried to focus on what the person on the other end of the line was communicating to him while he was trying to think of how he was going to deal with his pint-sized daughter. His eyes jumped from the monitor to Tony's face as he listened. Another Petty Officer had been found murdered. Several college kids had been kayaking on Lake Anna and found the body.

Gibbs hung up the phone with a gruff, "Got it."

His eye contact never left Tony's, and he could tell his SFA understood. Tony would need to take the lead in this case. The dynamics in Gibbs life had changed and his first priority had to be to his daughter.

"What's up, Boss?"

"Murder of a Petty Officer at Lake Anna."

Tony nodded and turned to Ziva and Tim. "You heard the man; grab your gear."

Tim sprang into action and headed to the evaluator right on Tony's heals. Ziva kept herself deliberately behind. Gibbs noticed and met her in the centre of the bullpen.

"Do not overreact, Gibbs," she said. "Listen to what she is not saying."

Gibbs nodded and planted a kiss on the side of her head. "Thanks, Ziver.

She nodded and hurried to catch up with the team.

Gibbs raked a hand through his silver hair and his eyes returned to the monitor. Aimee still sat in the Interrogation room. How fitting, thought Gibbs. Room one was soundproof and the perfect spot, in his opinion, to upload some wisdom to a very rebellious nine-year-old.

Sighing loudly, Gibbs swept from the room on his way to room one.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks for the reviews! I have some faithful readers and reviewers, and I appreciate the time you take to let me know you're reading along. Reviews always inspire the fanfiction writers on here.**_

 _ **I'm so happy to hear that so many of you love this universe I have created.**_

 _ **Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!**_

 _ **Love you all, Jenny Wrens**_

Gibbs headed down the long corridor where most of the conference and interrogation rooms were located. Room one was used mostly for the toughest interrogations, ones where the perp would be the most hostile. It was completely soundproof and had a two-way mirror attached to it complete with viewing room and security cameras. Interviews in that room could be fully recorded for later viewing. The irony of where Aimee had chosen to seek refuge was not lost on Gibbs. No one could hear him strangle her but it could be fully recorded. Gibbs groaned at his own musing, and the muscle in his jaw twitched involuntarily as he thought about how he would deal with Aimee's behaviour. Why did he keep screwing up so badly with her? Just when he thought he was making some headway, Aimee would do a complete 180. He was trying to be patient, but he felt like he was drowning.

Feeling discouraged and even more downtrodden than he thought possible, he reached room one and stood outside the door. As he reached out to open the door, Abby came scurrying around the corner murmuring quietly under her breath. Gibbs turned on his heel to speak with her but she was so distracted that she barreled right by him.

"Abby."

Abby stopped and turned to look at him, "Gibbs."

"Hey, what's up?"

Abby sucked in her bottom lip but remained quiet which was making Gibbs feel anxious.

"Abbs?"

She silently stared at him.

Gibbs walked towards her and stood in front of her. His authoritative look mixed with parental concern soon forced her to drop her gaze to the floor. Gibbs heart rate increased, wondering what was going on. His Goth girl was not normally so quiet.

"Scuttlebutt tells me the Major is sick…"

Abby's eyes shot up. "McGee is useless, Gibbs…"

Gibbs raised his hand to forestall her upcoming rampage. "McGee is not exactly trained in repairing mass spectrometers, Abbs."

Abby bit back the comments and sighed. "I've been on the phone with a technician for the past hour, Gibbs. There is nothing they can do until Monday. What am I supposed to do without the Major?"

Gibbs shrugged, not clearly understanding why Abby cared so much about her lab equipment but not daring to ask.

"Abbs, we have no impending cases right now. Tony just took the team out into the field, and it will be late in the day before Ducky even has a hair of evidence for you to worry about…"

"Gibbs! You don't understand! The Major is more than just an apparatus that I use to analyze chemical compounds…" Gibbs narrowed his eyes at her and Abby stopped mid-sentence. Gibbs understood a lot but when it came to forensics, he was not someone she could explain complicated matters with. McGee maybe, but Gibbs, not a chance. Heavying a weary sigh she fidgeted and shook her head. "Never mind, I forgot who I was talking to."

Gibbs smirked and patted her shoulder in what was a sad attempt at condolences.

"Abbs, today was slated to be a day to do paperwork, rework evidence and play catch up. There is plenty to do to keep you busy until Ducky gets new evidence. How about you use your time wisely…"

Abby's mouth twitched. "I might have fired the freakin' technician," she blurted out, looking up at him with a guilty expression.

Gibbs pinched his nose. His emotional stamina was hovering on the verge of overload but Abby's confession struck him as humorous so he had to bit his lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. He could envision how the whole conversation went down with the technician. The guy would be happily minding his business, happy that it was finally Friday and so close to the weekend and boom! Abby Sciuto enters the scene and bursts his pink little happy bubble.

"Might have?" Gibbs lifted a brow.

"Gibbs, he wasn't even listening to what I was telling him. The Major has serious symptoms, and he was supposed to diagnosis what was wrong. Gibbs, I am not a stupid person; there is a lot I can do if I know what is wrong. The guy was sloughing it off like it was unimportant. There is no way I am going to stand by and put up with such negligence."

"Abbs."

Abby shook her head. "No, Gibbs. I cannot allow such callous disregard to continue. Forensics is a very serious matter and if we allow other scientists to…"

Gibbs felt the back of his head start to ache. He would be spinning in circles with Abby if he didn't end things now. She was a passionate person; he appreciated that about her, but she was also a little too eccentric about difficulties that simply did not matter on the grand scale of things.

"Abby, stop working yourself into a frenzy. Just stop!"

Abby's eyes widened at Gibbs tone of voice. It was stern and brusque, but it also held a hint of distraction.

"Aimee took off on me this morning after you left, and I can't deal with your complaints about a malfunctioning machine when I need to focus on dealing with her."

Abby's face registered several emotions at once. Gibbs couldn't quite pin anyone down right away. He knew he probably shouldn't have downplayed her concerns but Abby was an adult and right now he needed her to be just that. Thankfully, Abby could sense his urgency and conceded.

"Oh, no! Are they okay, Gibbs?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yah, they're okay. Janessa is in daycare and the last I checked, Aimee was hiding from me right there." He pointed at room one and he saw Abby smirk.

"Fitting."

Gibbs smirked. "That's what I thought."

Abby sighed and dropped her hands to her sides. "Don't be too hard on her, Gibbs."

"That's the point, Abbs, I haven't been too hard on her. I think I've been pretty damn understanding, but things just keep getting worse."

'She's been through so much, Gibbs, and she's just a little girl."

"You think I don't know that? Geez, the kid breaks my heart every time I look into her eyes, but when is enough enough?" Gibbs ran a hand through his hair. He didn't mean to come unglued in front of Abby but he needed to vent too. He needed an outlet. He needed someone to talk to and bounce ideas off. The trouble was he didn't know that many people with kids and the ones that did didn't have the issues he had to deal with. He was running blind, and he had no idea what he was doing. It was a huge responsibility, and he didn't want to screw it up.

Abby suddenly wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly. "I know you'll do the right thing. You're Gibbs, Gibbs! You always know just the right thing to say and do. You're my superhero."

Gibbs chuckled. Abby, for her eccentricities, was his number one fan. In her eyes, he could do no wrong. It was refreshing to be so loved and adored by another person. But he knew he was far from perfect, even if Abby didn't see it.

"Thanks, Abbs." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now, stop worrying about the Major and go call the technician back and apologise before Jenn comes after you. You think I'm scary? I dare you to cross that redhead."

Abby snorted. "Fine. I'll apologise but I'm not going to mean it, Gibbs, and you can't make me."

Gibbs smirked pointedly. "You think?"

Abby took a few steps back with a smirk before spinning on her heel and disappearing down the corridor. Gibbs walked towards the interrogation room once more, taking a deep breath as he opened the door. His heart fell. A quick scan of the room told him that Aimee had yet again escaped him. Somehow, she'd managed to give him the slip. Again. Gibbs walked into the room and shut the door, taking a minute to regroup. Where could she have gone this time?

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Aimee slipped outside of the evidence garage and heaved a heavy sigh. Her heart was racing in her chest still as she quickly hid behind a shrub and took a deep breath to calm down. It had been no easy task to slip past all the agents and technicians. First, she had to convince one of the agents that Agent Gibbs needed her to retrieve something from the evidence garage for him and then she had to convince him to let her search for it on her own in the evidence locker. That had not been a stress-free mission. Aimee hoped she never had to do it again. It felt like she had to lie a hundred times and each lie made her feel just a little guiltier. She didn't want to deceive anyone, not really; she just wanted to get outside to see if Janessa was outside in the daycare play yard. Thankfully, the technicians in the garage didn't pay much attention to her. She'd been there with Gibbs or one of the team so many times, most of them just assumed she was with them again.

Aimee rested for a few minutes behind the bush catching her breath and allowing her heart rate to slow down and then made her way towards the side of the building looking for the playground. Every day in the morning before lunch, the daycare children played outside. Aimee had caught a few glimpses of the playground when they arrived and left each day. It was a vast area with a large play structure, complete with a sandbox and swings. There was also a cement roadway around the outside of the play area that kids could ride trikes, scooters and other wheeled vehicles. Aimee walked over towards the back of the yard and tried to stay hidden while she searched the area for Janessa. It didn't take long until she spotted her sister. She was riding a trike pulling another girl behind her in a wagon. Aimee walked up to the fence, threading her fingers through the wire.

"Ness!" she called.

Janessa's head turned to see who was calling her. Seeing her sister, Janessa's face lit up and she parked her bike to the side and rushed over, leaving her playmate behind.

"Aimee! Is Gibbs with you?" she asked excitedly. " I wanna show him how I can hop on one foot now." Janessa began to hop on one foot as proof of her accomplishment, her face flushed in childish happiness.

"That's good, Ness!" said Aimee, smiling at her sister kindly. "No, Gibbs isn't here, it's just me."

Janessa stopped hopping as her face fell in disappointment. "Did you runs away again?"

Aimee frowned. "It's not running away, Nessie. I already told you that."

Janessa brushed her long blonde hair out of her face. "Aimee, I wanna stay with daddy…"

"Stop calling him that! He's not our daddy."

Tears welled up in Janessa's eyes as she walked closer to the fence. "He is too our daddy."

"No, he isn't." Aimee looked up at the fence determining how high it was and if she thought Janessa could climb it on her own without help. "Ness, do you think you can climb over the fence?"

Janessa's face paled as she shook her head adamantly. "No, Aimee, I might fall."

Aimee reached out and patted Janessa's fingers through the fence. "You won't, Nessie, I promise I'd catch you."

Janessa looked unconvinced. "Where are we gonna go?"

"Canada."

"But, why, Aimee? Mr. Gibbs and everybody is our family…"

"Stop saying that! Do you really think Gibbs cares about what happens to us? We're just in the way all the time. It's time to go."

Janessa's eyes widened and her bottom lip trembled. "I don't wanna runs away. Mr. Gibbs gets mad when we do that."

Aimee sighed, feeling annoyed. "Ness, don't you want to see the igloos and dog sleds in Canada? I read this book, and it showed pictures of people living in houses all made of snow and ice. Wouldn't it be fun to live in an ice house?"

Janessa shook her head. "I don't wanna go, Aimee."

Aimee reached through the fence and pinched Janessa hard enough to cause her to cry out in pain. Janessa pulled away with tears in her eyes, staring at Aimee in alarm.

"Janessa Percy! I'm your sister and you have to listen to me. Climb that fence right now so we can go!"

Janessa took a few steps backward, shaking her head. "No, Mr. Gibbs says to tells you no."

Aimee felt her heart rate pick up and she had to bite her tongue not to yell at her younger sister. She didn't want to draw attention from a daycare staff. As it was, they were hidden just behind the play structure and none of the staff could see them. She moved closer to the fence and pressed her face against it, making her voice low but clear.

"If you don't come with me right now, I'm leaving without you and you will never see me again!"

Janessa's bottom lip quivered and tears rolled down her cheeks. She took a few steps closer to her sister as her vision blurred.

"You'd really goes away forebber and ebber?"

"Yes, I would."

Janessa's hands began to tremble as she thought of Aimee running away and never seeing her again. Tears cascaded down her small cheeks making it next to impossible to see. She rubbed at her eyes, dirt and grim mixing with tears on her face. Her hair blew in the breeze as she considered her next move.

"Well, are you coming or not? I don't have all day." Aimee's voice was cross.

Janessa sniffed and wiped at her eyes again. She walked to the fence and entwined her fingers in the wire, looking at Aimee with uncertainty. Aimee walked closer and patted her hand gently.

"You can do it, Ness. It's not so far up and once you get over, you can jump and I can catch you."

Janessa looked up at the top of the eight-foot-high fence and shivered as she began to climb the enclosure. Slowly she stuck her small sneakers into each hole of the wire fence and pulled herself up higher and higher until she reached the top. She swung her leg over and sat on the top breathing heavily from the exertion. Aimee bit her lip as she watched her younger sister rest at the top. She risked a peek around the corner at the two daycare staff supervising the children, hoping they wouldn't notice Janessa sitting on the top of the fence. Both adults had their back to the fence and were busy helping other children, not noticing anything was awry.

"Hurry, Nessie, before they see you!" she hissed, trying to make her voice loud enough to be heard by Janessa but not the adults.

Janessa sniffled again. "I'm scared, Aimee. It's a long ways down. What if I falls?"

Aimee stood directly underneath her sister. "You won't. Just turn around and hook your foot in the fence and climb down. I'll catch you if you slip. I promise."

"Are you sure, Aimee?"

"Janessa, just do it before someone see you!" snapped Aimee.

Janessa sucked in her bottom lip in trepidation as she slowly swung her foot over the fence. Her hands were sweaty and her heart was racing both from fear and weariness. As she looked down to secure her footing, her hand slipped and she slid down a few inches on the fence before she caught herself. Janessa began to cry in fear as she clung to the fence.

"Aimee, I'm scared."

"Hang on, Nessie, you're okay. I promise. You can do it!"

Janessa held onto the fence, her fingers aching and she sobbed. "I can't, Aimee. I can't!"

Aimee saw one of the daycare workers glance their way and panicking, Aimee climbed the fence and pulled at Janessa's foot. If the teacher got to them first, they would never be able to get away before Gibbs caught them.

Janessa cried out in terror. "I'm gonna falls!"

Aimee continued to pull at Janessa's leg hoping to encourage her to climb down further but the younger girl clung to the fence for dear life, still higher than five feet up the fence.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" shouted a voice.

Aimee jumped down from the fence and looked to see one of the daycare staff running towards them.

"You have to let go, Ness, now! Someone's coming. Jump and I'll catch you, I promise. Jump!" pleaded Aimee, her heart dancing the tango in her chest.

Janessa continued to cry, shivering as she looked down at Aimee. She was frozen in fear, not knowing what to do. Her fingers were stinging and as she tried to reposition herself, one of her clammy hands started to slip and before she could catch herself, Janessa footing slipped and she fell.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Gibbs got off the elevator and entered the evidence garage. Another agent had mentioned to him that he had seen Aimee playing around in the evidence locker. Gibbs felt sick at the thought of the young girl roaming around unsupervised. He still hadn't fully recovered from Aimee's brush with death in the morgue drawers. The only good thing that had come from the incident was that he'd learned that Aimee was a girl of her word. She said she wouldn't go to Autopsy anymore and she hadn't. Jimmy had even invited her down with Gibbs permission but the little girl had adamantly refused. The experience had permanently cured her from messing around down there, and frankly, Gibbs didn't mind at all. It just meant it was one less place he had to worry about.

"Hi, Agent Gibbs. Wondered when I'd see you. One of your kids was down here earlier so I figured you or one of your team was close by," said a voice from behind a car hood.

Gibbs lifted a brow as he immediately searched for the body belonging to the voice. The technician was bent over the engine of a black SUV.

"When did you see her?"

The guy looked up, pulling a rag from his back pocket and wiping his hands. "Dunno, maybe 20 minutes ago? I was wondering what was bringing you down here, anyway. Abby ain't here this morning."

Gibbs growled. "Didn't you think it was strange she was on her own, St. Claire?"

The man shook his head. "Nah, DiNozzo has had those kids with him hundreds of times and more times than not, they are running all over the garage."

Gibbs glared at the man, not really angry with him but more annoyed that no one in the evidence garage would think it was odd that Aimee was on her own. He made a mental note to head smack DiNozzo for his carelessness with the girls.

"Did you see where she went?"

The man shrugged and leaned back over the engine. "Mighta went outside to look at the ducks or something but I dunno for sure. I've been putting this vehicle back together for the Director all morning. FBI wants it for perusing."

Gibbs smacked his fist down on the vehicle in frustration. The technician might have jumped at the noise had he not been used to Gibbs' frustrated outbursts. It wasn't unusual for him or another agent to take their frustration out on the side of a vehicle. The guy shrugged and kept working in nonchalance.

"Damn it," Gibbs mutter under his breath as he began stalking out the front door of the garage. He panned the area quickly, feeling more and more irritated. Aimee would need to sit for a very long time before he dealt with her. He was borderline furious now, and he wouldn't want to do or say anything he'd regret.

As he rounded the corner of the building, he froze mid-step and gasped out loud. In the distance, he could see a small child hanging off the top of the enclosure to the daycare playground. NCIS was fully enclosed in an eight-foot-high privacy fence. The Navy was big on privacy and keeping away the prying eyes of civilians. From the outside, no one could see what happened within the enclosed area. The daycare was on the far side of the fenced in area, and it used the one side of the privacy fence as part of its enclosure and it was very high, too high for any child to climb safely. Before Gibbs could even give anything much thought, he bolted towards the fence line. As he grew closer, he recognised the small child as Janessa. He watched in horror when the child lost her footing and fell to the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks so much for all the reviews. :)**_

Gibbs fell to his knees beside Janessa within minutes of seeing her plummet to the ground. She was lying unconscious in an awkward position with her arm pinned beneath her. Gibbs cringed knowing instinctively that it was broken. He felt gently for a pulse, careful to not jar her in any way. He heaved a sigh of relief when he felt a strong, steady beat beneath his fingers. She'd fallen at least five or six feet, far enough to seriously hurt her. Gibbs clenched his jaw, trying to keep himself calm. Kids were resilient, he told himself. Just about any time he'd heard about a kid taking a nasty fall or involved in an accident, they always fared much better than an adult. Kids just didn't seem to have the same instinct to tense up the way adults did and that almost always worked in their favour. Janessa would be alright, he told himself. She had to be. He couldn't lose another daughter.

Aimee dropped to her knees beside Janessa, sobbing. "Oh, no! Janessa!"

The older girl reached out to shake her sister but Gibbs shouted at her sternly to stay back. His voice was much gruffer than he meant it to be but in those moments, his concern was for Janessa's wellbeing and safety. Movement of any kind could be life-threatening to the girl.

Gibbs gently patted Janessa's cheek to see if he could wake her. "Nessie, baby, it's daddy. C'mon, kiddo, open those blueberry orbs for me."

A daycare staff came running around from outside the fenced-in area and dropped to her knees beside them.

"Oh, gawd, Agent Gibbs! I'm so sorry! We didn't see her climb the fence. Is she okay?" The woman was visibly shaking.

Gibbs looked up, his face ashen. "Call 911."

"Erin is calling now," reassured the woman. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Gibbs shook his head as he took off his dress jacket and draped it over Janessa's still form. He needed to keep her warm. If she was to gain consciousness, she would very quickly go into shock.

Aimee crawled closer to Janessa and attempted to shake her again. "Please, wake up, Nessie."

Gibbs felt a part of him snap, his anger barely under control. "Don't shake her! What the hell happened, Aimee? What was Janessa doing climbing that fence?"

Coloured drained from Aimee's cheeks as she looked from Janessa still form to Gibb's angry face.

Gibbs gritted his teeth. "Did you tell her to do it?"

Aimee's mouth opened but instead of speaking, she just nodded her head, tears escaping down her bright red cheeks.

Gibbs dropped his head for several seconds before looking up at her furiously. "Damn it, Aimee; what were you thinking? Of all the stupid things you've done, this one takes the cake!"

Aimee blinked, tears falling down her cheeks. "I-I…" she stammered.

Gibbs glared at her angrily. "No, don't talk! I don't want to hear it right now. Get your butt to the bullpen, now!"

Aimee stood to her feet, her face pale with fear.

"And so help me, Aimee, if I don't find you sitting at my damned desk when I come back in, I'm going to paddle your ass into the middle of next week," he shouted at her, fear and anger overtaking all rationality.

The daycare teacher gasped.

Aimee turned on her heel and took off running, tears blinding her vision.

Gibbs closed his eyes and ran a worried, trembling hand through his hair as he looked down at Janessa. Her face was so pale that he could see her blood vessels through her ashen skin. His heart was shattering as he watched her shallow breathing. He was helpless to do anything but wait for the paramedics to arrive. His gut was screaming at him to pick her up and embrace the little girl but he knew he couldn't. The wail of the siren could be heard as he kneeled over his youngest daughter forcing himself not to allow his worst fears to consume him.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Tony strolled into the bullpen feeling ready to explode. Every single time the local Leos got involved in a NCIS case, they botched things up and/or compromised evidence. It pissed him off. He'd worked as a cop for a long time before he came to NCIS and he was never that incompetent. Ever. Tony slammed his gear onto his desk and kicked it angrily. They might not ever be able to gather enough solid evidence to solve the case which meant it turned into another cold case where no one got any closure. Tony knew that Gibbs would be as livid as he.

"Son of a…" He stopped mid-sentence when he heard a soft sob from behind him. He turned to see Aimee with her head down on Gibbs' desk, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed quietly.

Tony forced himself to calm down as he walked to Gibbs' desk and ran a hand over Aimee's blond head gently.

"Hey, kiddo, what's wrong?"

His only answer was Aimee's sobs growing louder.

Tony sat on the edge of the desk, his imagination spinning at all the possible reasons the little girl could be crying. It wasn't hard for him to imagine the worst these days, especially with Gibbs so on edge and Aimee so hell-bent on driving him off that edge.

"Hey, did the boss-man get mad at you or something?"

Aimee shook her head back and forth on the desk, choking back tears and gasping for breath but never looking up.

"Hey, now, Aims, it can't be that bad, can it?"

Aimee suddenly sat up, her face red from crying. "Janessa's dead!" she screamed.

The blood drained from Tony's face as he listened.

"I-I made her climb the fence and s-she fell. She w-was all twisted u-up and not moving," sobbed Aimee, gasping for breath. "I-I killed her, Tony!"

Tony felt his mouth go dry as he instinctively wrapped an arm around Aimee, not knowing what to say or think.

"Where's your dad?"

Aimee's voice caught in her throat and she began choking. Tony rubbed her back gently to help calm her down. She was nearly at the point of hysterics and he was becoming more than a little concerned.

"Calm down, baby doll. Let's not jump to conclusions here, okay? Now, tell me where your dad is?"

Aimee nodded and worked hard to catch her breath. Her face was crimson as she continued to choke back sobs. Tony continued to rub her back as his mind whirled in a hundred different directions.

Just then Abby rushed into the room, her pale face even more ashen than normal.

"Tony! Janessa fell from the privacy fence and Gibbs went by ambulance to the hospital with her. She's unconscious and they weren't able to revive her." Abby was trembling as she walked up to him. "I've never seen Gibbs so upset, Tony. We need to get to the hospital right away!"

Tony stood to his feet and embraced Abby tightly to calm her down as well.

Aimee continued to sob, her hysterical cries ramping up once again. "S-see, I told you I k-killed her."

Abby pulled away from Tony and wrapped Aimee in her arms, hushing her gently. "No, no, no, Aimee; it's not your fault, sweetie. It was an accident."

Aimee pushed Abby away. "No, it's all my fault! Didn't Gibbs tell you what happened?"

Tony knelt down so he was face to face with Aimee and pulled her in close with one hand.

"Aimee, I don't know what happened, and it doesn't even matter right now. Janessa is going to be in good hands at the hospital so let's think positively, okay?" Tony could feel her trembling, and it was breaking his heart. Whatever happened to Janessa, whether it was Aimee's doing or not, Aimee was placing the full blame on herself. Standing around thinking the worst was only going to exacerbate that. They needed to find out the truth. Taking charge, Tony scooped up Aimee in his arms and tucked her on his hip. He walked across the bullpen and fished his keys out of the top drawer of his desk. He looked up at Abby and nodded in her direction as he began to walk towards the elevator.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Gibbs raked a nervous hand through his silver hair as he paced the waiting room floor. He'd been waiting for some kind of update on Janessa for what felt like hours but anyone he saw had no news for him. He kept telling himself that no news was good news. Or at least, he told himself that was true. The longer it took them to give him an update, the longer they spent helping Janessa. That had to be a good thing, right? He looked up to see a picture on the wall of a child being held by her mother. The woman was looking out the window and the child was looking at her mother, love, and trust shimmering in her eyes. Gibbs found himself being drawn into the painting. Janessa had that look too. The times he would sit and cuddle her as he read yet another story to her. The times she would stall him that much longer so she didn't have to go to bed. All those times he treasured. She was a breath of fresh air on a hot, humid day. She and Aimee both were his second chance at fatherhood, and he wouldn't have changed it for the world.

Aimee. Damn it! He'd shouted at her. Sent her away and forgotten about her. What would she be thinking, not knowing if her sister was alive or not, she must be terrified. Damn it. He was an idiot! What was he thinking sending her away? He needed to find out if she was alright…he needed…

"Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs blinked several times like he was being pulled out of a dream. He spun around to see a doctor staring at him.

"How is she?" he blurted out.

The woman smiled kindly. "She's doing very well and asking for her daddy." The doctor motioned for Gibbs to sit down and he obliged. "She took quite the fall but other than sustaining a broken arm and a severe concussion, she's going to be just fine."

Gibbs felt his whole body tremble in relief. His little girl would be okay. She wasn't badly hurt. He couldn't help heaving an audible sigh. "Why was she unconscious?"

"She hit her head pretty hard when she hit the ground. I'm guessing the trauma to her head kept her insentient. Once she arrived at the hospital, she gained consciousness very quickly. She's a little trooper that one and a delightful little thing."

Gibbs smiled. "Can I take her home?"

The doctor shook her head. "You can go see her if you'd like, but I'd like to keep her for 24 hours to monitor her. Like I said, she hit her head pretty hard. Children are generally resilient, and plasticity, that is, the ability for the brain to reorganize itself and form new connections is generally at its strongest in childhood, so most children recover from a concussion without any lasting problems. I just want to take all precautions."

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks, Doctor."

The woman stood to her feet and patted Gibbs on the shoulder. "Things happen like this every day, Agent Gibbs. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Gibbs managed a small grin in response. "May I see her now?"

"Of course. She's in ICU room 4. I'm sure you'll be able to find her just by her giggle. She's already managed to put a few nurses under her spell."

Gibbs chuckled. "She has that effect on people."

The doctor laughed. "I will be there soon to set her arm and cast it."

Gibbs nodded and the doctor walked away. Gibbs scrubbed his hand across his face, feeling his five o'clock shadow starting. It wasn't even lunchtime yet, and he felt like he'd been rung through the ringer. He rose to his feet and wandered through the emergency room doors looking for the ICU unit. He hadn't walked far when he heard a familiar giggle. He felt his heart skip a beat and he picked up his pace as he entered the closest room on the left of the wing. His face broke into a wide grin when he saw Janessa sitting up on a bed holding a little brown stuffed teddy bear with a bandage wrapped around his head. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her. Her head was wrapped in a bandage and she was favouring her right arm.

"Nessie!"

Gibbs walked up to her bed and carefully scooped her up in his arms. He brought her head close to his lips and planted a lingering kiss on her head, breathing in her little girl essence.

Janessa whimpered and the nurse in the room gasped in concern. "We have yet to set her arm, Sir. Please be careful."

"Have you given her anything for pain?" asked Gibbs, seeing Nessie's distress.

The nurse shook her head. "We needed your permission, sir."

"You have it!" stated Gibbs, feeling irritated that his little girl had been left in pain when he was close by to ask all along.

The nurse slipped from the room.

"Daddy," whispered Nessie throwing her good arm around his neck. "My head gots a bump and my arm gots all busted up. It hurts, daddy."

Gibbs swallowed the lump in his throat and gently set her back on the bed. Tears burned his eyes. He would never be able to erase from his mind her still form lying on the ground all crumpled up, with her arm twisted beneath her. "I'm so sorry it hurts, baby girl, but daddy's here and I'm going to stay with you until you fall asleep, okay?"

Janessa nodded and held his hand in hers.

Gibbs lifted her hand up to his lips and he kissed her hand, winking at her.

The nurse came back in, walking over to them and patting Janessa's leg kindly. "The doctor is going to be here in just a few minutes, Janessa, and then we're going to wrap your arm in a pretty cast. What's your favourite colour?"

"Pink!"

"Oh, good choice. I like pink too." The nurse looked to Gibbs. "It shouldn't take too long to set her arm and cast it then we'll admit her."

Gibbs nodded and kissed Janessa's hand again. "Sounds good to us, right Nessie?"

Janessa looked uncertain. "Is it going to hurt, daddy?"

Gibbs winked at her. "Maybe a little, but I will be right here with you, okay? Can you be brave for just a little while longer?"

The nurse smiled at the little girl. "I'm going to help with that pain now, honey." She held up a syringe. "This will take it away, okay?"

Janessa blinked back tears and leaned into Gibbs, and he pulled her in close, kissing her head. He blinked his eyes briskly to keep the tears at bay. He was so relieved she was okay. He didn't think he'd ever be able to forget seeing her fall. It would be forever burned in his mind.

"I don't wanna a shot!" cried the little girl.

"It will only pinch a little, I promise," assured the nurse as she prepped Janessa's uninjured arm for the pain medication.

Janessa hid her face in Gibb's shirt and sobbed. Gibbs wrapped a protective arm around her and nodded his approval at the nurse who quickly administered the shot. Janessa screeched her disapproval, and Gibbs pulled her closer to him to comfort her.

"You're a brave kid, sweetheart." He complimented, running a hand through her sweaty, tangled blond hair. Janessa sobbed into his sleeve in response. "That medicine is going to help make the pain go away."

Janessa continued to cry and Gibbs held her close, hushing her softly.

"The doctor should be here in a few minutes. There are some people outside wanting to come in, Agent Gibbs. Your daughter is going to be sleepy from the medication. Try to keep visitors down to a minimum."

Gibbs nodded and the nurse left.

Gibbs looked up to see Abby rush into the room with Tony on her heels. "Gibbs! Gibbs!"

Abby gasped when she saw Janessa sobbing into Gibbs' chest, sounding as broken-hearted as could be. Her green eyes shimmered in tears as she stood silently staring at them. Tony entered the room holding a very sheepish-looking Aimee by the hand. The youngster refused to make eye contact with him and partially hid behind Tony. Gibbs managed a small smile when he saw the concern of his family.

"She's fine, everyone. Broken arm and a concussion but she's going to be up and around before you know it."

Tony pulled Aimee closer to him and smiled. "That's good to hear, Boss."

Abby patted Janessa's shoulder kindly. "Hey, Ness, are you okay?"

Janessa shook her head and still kept her face hidden.

"She just got a shot, and she's kinda upset about it," explained Gibbs.

Tony made a face. "Hey, Monster, I don't blame you for being mad about that. I hate shots too!" Tony tickled her sides gently. Janessa wiggled beneath Gibbs's embrace, and she pulled her face away slowly.

Aimee inched closer and reached out to touch Janessa's hand. "Nessie, I'm so sorry," she all but whispered.

Janessa turned around and smiled at her sister through her tears. "Aimee!"

The smaller girl pitched herself forward towards her sister. Gibbs' quick reflexes grabbed her before she tumbled onto the floor after Aimee.

"I thoughts you left without me!" cried Janessa, working her way towards Aimee more.

Tony came to the rescue and lifted Aimee onto the bed so Janessa could reach her. Janessa fell into her sister's arms sobbing. Aimee immediately dissolved into tears as she hugged her sister. Gibbs wrapped his arms around both of them.

"I'm so sorry, Nessie. It's all my fault!" cried Aimee, hugging her sister.

"I was so scared you'd go away forebber !" Janessa sobbed, her breath hitched.

Gibbs tapped Aimee on the head firmly so she'd look at him. "Is that what you said to her?" he demanded, feeling his anger reignite.

Aimee swallowed and looked into Gibbs' eyes. "I didn't mean it, honest I didn't. I-I just wanted…" Aimee hesitated and blinked back hot tears.

"You wanted her to go with you," finished Gibbs, his voice rising in frustration. "Damn it, Aimee, how could you put your sister in danger like that?"

Aimee blinked back more tears and looked away, unable to endure his piercing gaze any longer.

Tony took a few steps forward, placing a comforting hand on Gibbs' shoulder. Gibbs felt his blood begin to boil as he thought about what Aimee did. The child had quite literally blackmailed her sister into running away with her, all on some kind of whim of revenge against him because he'd asked her to make her bed. It made no sense. What the hell was she thinking?

"Guess you discovered that Loch Ness Monsters are not the flying kind, huh squirt?" interjected Tony, attempting to lighten up the conversation.

Janessa snorted through her tears.

"When you get home, you're getting ice cream every day whenever you want it," murmured Abby, coming closer and kissing Janessa on her chubby cheek.

The doctor entered the room to find the family group all huddled together, each one touching Janessa in some way and each one thanking the good Lord above that nothing serious had happened.


	5. Chapter 5

_***warning-**_ _ **fictional child disciplined by a fictional adult in this chapter***_

 _ **Hey Readers, thanks for the reviews. I'm so glad you are enjoying this story.**_

Gibbs took a long gulp of the horribly bitter-tasting emergency room coffee and leaned against the wall, just taking a few minutes for himself. The nurse had shooed him and Tony from the room, leaving Abby and Aimee behind to help Janessa settle into her room. Tony had excused himself to see how Tim and Ziva were making out on the case, and Gibbs had just used the time to take a breather. His anger and frustration with Aimee's antics resulting in Janessa's fall had got the best of him, and he thought it best that he took some time to cool off.

"Boss?"

Gibbs looked up to see Tony walking towards him holding out a real coffee. Gibbs reached for it like he was a drowning man and it was his lifeline. Just the smell helped to calm his nerves.

"Thanks."

Tony smiled and joined his boss, leaning against the same wall. The two of them stood side by side quietly for several minutes enjoying their hot beverages until Gibbs broke the silence.

"How's the case?"

"Compromised."

Gibbs groaned, not sure he wanted to continue the conversation. He was frustrated enough and felt like anything else would be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"How so?" he dared to ask.

Tony looked towards the ceiling and exhaled a deep breath. "Frankly, Boss, the local LEOS screwed up big time. I spoke with Tim and…"

Gibbs held up a hand to forestall the younger man's rant. "On second thought, I think I'll just leave it in your capable hands until tomorrow."

Tony managed a small smile. "That's probably a good plan, Boss. Tim and Ziva have things well in hand anyway, and Ducky and Palmer are knee-deep in the guts and glory right now."

"Gonna need Abby soon, I suspect."

Tony shrugged. "I speculate it's going to be a long night any way you slice it. The Petty officer's parents are freaking out, and the guy's father is pretty high up in the Navy. Man by the name of Cosgrove."

Gibbs lifted a brow. "Admiral Jayson Cosgrove, by any chance?"

Tony took another long drink of his coffee as he nodded. "Know him, Boss?"

"Oh, yah," scoffed Gibbs with a dry chuckle. "Damn, this case just got interesting, DiNozzo."

"Uh, yah, sure, Boss. Whatever you say," groaned Tony, sarcasm evident in his voice.

Gibbs smirked and stared at the floor thinking about Cosgrove thoughtfully. He'd crossed paths with the contentious admiral on numerous occasions during his tenure with NCIS. It hadn't been fun under normal conditions, and he couldn't imagine what it was going to be like to deal with the man under such dreadful circumstances. Gibbs pushed the thought from his mind. Today had enough troubles of its own; he certainly didn't want to borrow any from tomorrow.

"You taking Aimee home now?"

Gibbs closed his eyes for a second and leaned his head against the wall. "Not sure how safe she's going to be with me tonight." His voice was low. He wasn't serious but he was allowing himself to be vulnerable with his protégé.

Tony gave a low whistle. "That mad, huh?"

"What do you think?"

Tony walked across the waiting room to a nearby chair and sat down, stretching his legs out. "I think Aimee is testing you, Boss."

Gibbs walked towards Tony and stood over him, still taking long mouthfuls of his coffee.

"I know she's testing me. I just don't know why," said Gibbs, annoyance in his voice. "Do you think Ducky could do without Abby tonight?" Gibbs sat down beside his protégé.

"I dunno, possibly. McGee and Ziva scoped the scene out pretty thoroughly after I left, collecting what evidence they could. Ducky and Palmer got what they could while I took the LEOs to task over their idiocy. Damn it, I can't believe they could be so…"

"Relax, DiNozzo. What's done is done. Getting yourself all riled up over what you can't change is just a waste of energy."

Tony groaned. "Boss, if you'd been there, you'd have been bouncing heads off the pavement…" Tony stopped talking, his face growing pale when his brain caught up with his mouth. "Uh, well, you know what I mean. Sorry, Boss."

Gibbs waved a dismissive hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "If it's possible maybe you could have Ducky detain the chain of evidence for tonight. Another 12 hours or so isn't going to matter too much on the grand scale of things. I'd appreciate if Abby could stay with Janessa until I work out a few things tonight."

Tony nodded his understanding. "I'm positive Abby won't mind. She's become a little mother hen with those girls which is a far cry better than her freaking out of the Major." Gibbs smirked and nodded his agreement as Tony continued, "What are you going to do?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I dunno, Tony. I just don't know."

"I don't feel like I'm much help in the parenting department, so take what I say with a pitcher of salt, but Boss, my gut says that something is really wrong. The Percy case is settled. David Brody, well, I guess stuff is still pretty complicated where he's concerned but Aimee has been sheltered from much of that. I know the girls have been through the ringer the last few months, but why is Aimee so hell-bent on running away from you? You'd think she'd be embracing the stability. We all love those girls. Janessa seems to be flourishing. I know she's a lot younger but still; shouldn't Aimee be settling in just a little? Where's this urge to run away coming from?"

Gibbs ran a finger along the top of his coffee cup. "I wish I knew. I've tried everything I can think of to help her. I've been as patient as I can possibly be, but damn it all to hell when the kid puts her sister's life in danger, I can't sit by and allow that. I mean there has to be a limit, doesn't there?"

Tony shrugged not knowing what to say in response. Aimee's behavior baffled him.

"I've talked to her repeatedly about running away. I think I've been beyond patient with her. Hell, if Kelly were alive and pulled even half the stunts Aimee has, she'd have been over my knee faster than you could say Jiminy Cricket."

Tony chuckled. "Jiminy Cricket? I'm impressed, Boss. Never pegged you for a Disney lover."

Gibbs scowled at him.

Tony sobered. Echoing his earlier question, he said, "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Gibbs sat forward, setting his cup on the center table and resting his head in his hands. "I know what my gut is telling me to do, but I just don't know if it's the right thing. I've already screwed things up with her before."

"You lost your temper, Boss. It happens to the best of us."

Gibbs nodded but didn't look up. "There's no excuse for it. I can't allow things to escalate to the point of losing my temper. For Pete's' sake, I deal with worse crap at work than she will ever be able to throw at me. Why the hell am I letting her get under my skin?"

"Because she's your kid, and kids know how to push your buttons. It's in their DNA or something."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore the comment. "She needs consistency. She needs to know that I am a man of my word. If she takes that to heart then maybe she will believe me when I tell her that I'm never going to give up on her."

"You figured that out too, huh?"

Gibbs turned his head to look at him. "Figured out what?"

Tony softly cleared his throat. "Trust is a hard thing for Aimee. She pushes back hard at everything we do. Even with me. The times she's run away and shown up at my door, she does her damnedest to control the situation and pushes back when she loses that control. Obviously, she's easy to overpower. She's nine years old, but she fights like a wildcat to keep in control. Just when I manage to break through her resolve and catch a little glimmer of trust, she pitches us back into darkness and the cycle begins again. For some reason, she just can't allow herself trust us."

Gibbs heaved a sigh, straightening up once again. "Yah, I've noticed that too. We take one step forward and five steps back."

"I wish I was a better help, Gibbs," said Tony, using Gibbs' name as a form of companionable comfort. Gibbs visibly relaxed at the familiarity and comradery. "If it means anything, I have faith that you'll do the right thing."

Gibbs looked at his SFA and good friend with an appreciative smile. "You sound like Abby. She called me a superhero, for Pete's sake. Honestly, you people need to stop putting me on some kind of pedestal like I know it all. I don't."

Tony's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Just remember you said that, Boss, and I'll be sure to remind you as often as I can."

Gibbs reached out and smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "I meant when it came to parenting!" Tony snickered in response making Gibbs laugh and shake his head.

Tony stood to his feet, brushing his hands down his pants to straighten them. "Just don't second guess yourself, Boss. You never do that normally, and I don't know why you're doing it now."

Gibbs rose to his feet as well. "There is a whole world of difference between solving a NCIS case and parenting a child."

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what?"

"That infamous Gibbs gut never lets you down, so why should it now?" Tony patted Gibbs on the shoulder and began to walk away but, as an afterthought, he then turned to say, "Trust your hunches. They're usually based on facts hidden just below the conscious level."

Gibbs fell into step with Tony as they walked from the room together. "Never pegged you for a theorist, Tony."

Tony grinned. "I'm not; I overheard McGee tell Abby that once, but I thought it was pretty sage advice. He's pretty wise for a Probie, but don't tell him I said that."

Gibbs shook his head with an amused grin. "He's definitely a smart kid when he's not quaking in his boots."

Tony smirked and bid Gibbs goodbye, wishing him luck with Aimee.

"XxX-NCIS—XxX

Gibbs opened the front door to his house, dropping his keys on the side table and turning to see Aimee still sitting in the backseat of the car. He took a deep breath, trying to remain patient with her and crooked a finger at her to come inside. She shook her head adamantly and dropped her gaze into her lap. Gibbs groaned. The ride home had been a quiet one. He hadn't been in much of a mood to talk either so he found himself content with her silence. Aimee had popped in a music CD to fill up the silence much to Gibbs relief. It gave him more time to sort out his thoughts. Once they arrived in his laneway, he took off his seatbelt and told her to go to her room. It was approaching three in the afternoon and he wanted to take some time to eat something. Abby had bought food at the hospital cafeteria for Aimee so he knew she'd eaten, but he hadn't had so much as a nibble since breakfast and he was famished. He stared at the young girl still sitting in his car. Now what? He hadn't anticipated she'd refuse to get out of the car. He didn't want to fight her on every little thing right from the get-go or they'd get nowhere.

Gibbs shook his head and used his keys to lock the door to his car. A fat lot of good it would do for him since Aimee could open the car from the inside anyway. He just hoped it would let her know that he didn't want her taking off on him. He'd had enough of her running away, but his gut told him she wouldn't take off this time. Aimee never went far from Janessa so that gave him peace of mind enough to make a quick sandwich.

Chewing on his PB and J, he wandered back outside to find Aimee still sitting in his car. He knocked on the window but she ignored him.

"Aims, we need to talk sooner or later, so how about coming out sooner. I only wanted you to go to your room to cool down while I made something to eat." He showed her the sandwich. "I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, and I thought I'd be in a better mood if I ate. Do you want anything?"

Aimee shook her head but didn't look up. Gibbs used his key FOB to unlock the car, and he opened the door, kneeling down to her level. He took another bite of his sandwich and stared at her meaningfully.

"Go away, Gibbs," she muttered reaching out to try and close the door again. Gibbs caught her by the arm, and she yanked it away heatedly.

Gibbs purposefully finished chewing his bite. "We can do this one of two ways, Aimee. You can walk inside by yourself or I can help you. Either way, you're coming inside, so we can talk. It's been a rough day on both of us. How about you make a wise choice?"

She looked at him straight in the eye. "Why? So you can hit me? Go to hell, Gibbs."

Gibbs rose to his full height and sternly looked down at her. "Aimee, if I have to force you inside, I will spank you first before we talk. I'd rather not do that."

Aimee's eyes sparked in rebelliousness and, for several seconds, Gibbs thought he was going to have to throw her over his shoulder and carry her inside kicking and screaming which would be such a great show for the neighbours. Thankfully, she huffed in indignation and got out of the car so he didn't have to force the issue further. She slowly walked past him shooting him a dirty look as she passed. Gibbs shut the car door and followed her inside. Once inside, she headed for the steps but Gibbs caught her by the arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To my room."

He shook his head. "Uh uh," he said, leading her into the living room. "Plant your butt on the sofa, kid. You and I are going to have a little chat."

Aimee narrowed her eyes at him and sat down, crossing her arms defiantly. Gibbs ignored her icy glares and sat down in the chair kiddy corner to her.

"So, why you were running away this time?" asked Gibbs, cutting to the chase, not seeing any point in wasting time with pleasantries.

Aimee huffed but said nothing.

"Aimee, I've been tolerant with you up until now, trying to give you the benefit of the doubt but my patience has run out. I've warned you repeatedly what would happen if you insist on taking off on your own. It's dangerous! And forcing Janessa to go with you by threatening to leave her? That's just plain mean. Why would you do that to Ness?" Gibbs saw Aimee shiver at his words. He could tell she felt guilty about what happened, and he was going to use that to his advantage. "Your sister loves you very much and looks up to you. She'd do anything for you. You know that."

Aimee blinked back tears and her bottom lip trembled at his words. "I-I never meant for her to get hurt."

"Well, she did, Aims. And it could have been much worse, couldn't it? What if she'd landed on her head? That fall could have killed her." Gibbs' voice was stern. He didn't actually think Janessa could have been killed from a five-foot fall, but if that's what it took to scare Aimee into talking, then he'd play that card. "Why do you insist on running away from me? What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I hate it here," she snapped.

"Why? What's so bad about being here? Aimee, I love you and Janessa, and I'm working hard to adopt you. I've fought that social services lady until I'm blue in the face and I don't intend to give up. Don't you get it, kiddo? I'm not going anywhere."

Aimee shook her head. "I don't care! You're stupid and I hate you!"

Gibbs sat forward on his chair. "Aimee, you can be as naughty as you like, and you can say whatever you want but it's not going to make me go away." He shifted himself to the sofa and catching her completely off guard, flipped her over his knee. "But there will be consequences." Nearly everytime they had a conversation, it almost always ended up with her hurling insulting words his way. He would try to calm her down and she would just escalate further. Gibbs wasn't going to repeat the same mistakes over and over. This time he intended to stay calm and end it before it began.

"Lemme go!" she screamed as she kicked her feet and struggling with all her might to get free.

Gibbs lifted his hand and applied several sharp swats to her small jean-clad backside. Aimee stiffened and ceased kicking for a moment, seemingly shocked by her predicament. Gibbs continued with a few more swats, increasing the intensity. He wanted her attention more than he wanted to punish her.

"I've had enough of this behaviour. It stops now, do you hear me?" His voice was stern.

Gibbs' heart melted at the sound of her distressed whimper but he refused to back down.

"Stop running away! It's dangerous. And stop bullying Janessa into going with you! It's mean! You're supposed to help keep her safe." He gave her another swat to punctuate his words.

"S-stop it!" she shouted, belligerent anger obvious in her voice.

Gibbs gave her a few more swats. "Be respectful and do not talk back to me or any other adult left in charge of you."

"You suck!" she screamed in response, kicking her legs up and down again.

Gibbs delivered a couple of particularly sharp swats to her upper thigh causing her to yelp and gasp for air. She stopped kicking and reached back to rub her leg. Gibbs rested his hand on her lower back and rubbed it gently. He speculated the swats really stung if his own stinging hand was any indicator, and he felt horrible about causing her pain but he wasn't finished yet. He checked himself and knew he didn't feel angry. He was calm and in control.

"Are you ready to have a respectable conversation with me yet or shall we continue?"

She choked back a sob. "No, please, stop," she begged, rubbing her thigh. Gibbs didn't prevent it.

"Are you ready to talk with me?"

"No!" she snapped and then Gibbs felt her tense up in anticipation of his response and he didn't disappoint. Another firm swat landed on her other thigh.

She yelped and broke down into shuddering sobs.

"I can do this all day, Aimee. I don't want to but I will. You are nine years old, kiddo, and you need to learn to respect me. You do not get to call the shots here. Now, I'm going to ask you one more time. Are you ready to speak nicely with me?" Gibbs kept count and knew he didn't want to spank her much more. For a little girl her age, he didn't want to use more than ten or fifteen swats. If he needed much more than that, then the tool wasn't working and he needed to switch things up. But he still had a few more to go and he intended to use them if need be.

"No more, please stop," she hiccupped.

Gibbs continued to rub her back but he didn't allow her to get up. "Answer my question, please. Are you ready to talk with me politely?"

Aimee swallowed and repeated her words through her hitched crying. "I don't wanna talk to you!" Despite her crying, her tone was still holding an air of belligerence.

Gibbs sighed. Damn, he thought, why does she have to be so stubborn? Gibbs lifted his hand and applied three more sharp swats to her behind, leaving her no time to recover and she stiffened up and shrieked, both hands struggling to cover the offended area. Gibbs easily pinned them to her lower back and landed one more. He was done. Even if she didn't give in, he wouldn't do anymore. His hand was stinging, and he was positive he'd made his point, regardless if she gave in or not. He wasn't the kind of parent who would ever spank his child into submission. That was never his goal. He aimed to grab attention and punctuate his words, no more and no less.

"S-stop, daddy, I'm s-sorry," came her plaintive cry.

Gibbs closed his eyes momentarily, feeling hopeful. She didn't refer to him as daddy very often and he considered it a good sign.

" Are you ready to talk respectfully?"

Her whole head shook to the affirmative. "Y-yes, please, no more."

Gibbs felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Then we're done." He drew her up into his arms and embraced her. She melted into him, weeping shuttering sobs which pulled at his heartstrings. He hated doing that with a passion but if it brought some peace to his home, he would do it as often as it was necessary. He pulled her in tightly to his chest and rocked her; he hushed her with soothing tones and told her she was okay and that he loved her.

"I-I didn't want Nessie to get hurt, Gibbs; I swear I didn't. She's gonna be okay, right?"

"You saw her, sweetheart. Ness is going to be just fine," he assured her.

She sniffled. "I never thought she'd fall…"

"I know you didn't."

She rested her head against his chest and heaved a quivering sigh, finally able to stop the sobs. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and she struggled to keep up with wiping them away. Her nose was running and she continued to sniffle and choke back hiccups.

"Are you okay?" he asked, feeling guilty but not wanting to allow it time to fester.

She nodded and squirmed on his lap. "That really hurt." It was a statement only.

"Yes, I imagine it did. It was kinda the point. How about you remember this and not let it happen again, huh?"

She didn't respond so he lifted her up and set her on the table in front of him. He saw her wince slightly as her bottom made contact with the hard surface.

"Why'd you run away?"

"I- I didn't…"

He put a finger to her lips. "Yes, you did. Remember this morning when I asked you to make your bed?"

Her eyes widened and he knew she remembered.

"Why'd you run away?"

"I didn't want to make m-my bed."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at her sternly. "Yah, I got that part. Why?"

"Cuz you're n-not the boss of me," she whispered without any heat.

Gibbs admired her tenacity. She was being truthful in that moment and not belligerent and he appreciated that it took guts to admit. He figured there was a lot more to it but he was willing to accept this explanation for now. There would be time to talk later.

"Well, I think we've established that I am, haven't we?"

She stuck out her bottom lip and shook her head.

"No more running away. Understand?" She nodded and he continued, "If you have a problem, you come and talk to me. No more doing things that are dangerous and no more bullying your sister into doing things either. Am I making myself clear?" She nodded again, her blue eyes swimming in tears.

He pulled her back into his arms, leaning back against the sofa and she melted into his embrace. There was plenty more he wanted to discuss with her, but he felt too tired to continue. Right now he just wanted to hold her in his arms and she seemed content with that as well.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thanks for the wonderful reviews.**_

 _ **I wanted to get in a quick update for you. It's a little short, but I hope it will make you smile. Just when Gibbs thought he already had his hands full and was being tested beyond what he could handle...LOL**_

 _ **Keep reading along. Thanks for your support and reviews. They make me smile. :)**_

 _ **Any mistakes are a result of sleep deprivation. LOL**_

Gibbs woke up twice that night, once with his own nightmares and once to Aimee's. He knew the little girl was being tormented with nightmares because he'd heard them on numerous occasions as had Abby. When he'd stumbled into her room to see if she was okay, he couldn't seem to wake her. She bolted up in the bed, her eyes wide open but continued to scream in terror. Not knowing what else to do, he scooped her up in his arms and brought her to bed with him. His presence seemed to soothe her and eventually, they both fell asleep once more.

The sun was bright the next morning when he awoke. He tried his best to shake the fog from his brain as he rose quietly to dress and seek solace in a coffee. Aimee didn't stir and he was thankful for some quiet time alone with his thoughts. He was still feeling unsettled over all the events that happened the day before and he wasn't sure what to expect going forward. He sat at the table and held his coffee mug with both hands, staring into space. Footfalls on the steps caught his attention and he looked up from his coffee to see a sheepish Aimee enter the room.

He smiled at her kindly. "Good morning, Sleepyhead."

A small unsure watery smile greeted him in return.

"Hey, why the tears?" he asked in concern.

"I miss Nessie…when can she come home?"

Gibbs motioned for her to come closer and she obliged but still kept her distance.

"Abby left me a message that Ness will be released later this morning."

"Is she okay?"

Gibbs smiled and nodded. "No need to worry; she's just fine, Aims," he assured her. "Are you hungry?"

Gibbs rose to his feet and grabbed a box of cereal out of the cupboard. He turned to see Aimee still standing in the same spot with tears swimming in her eyes. He set the box on the table and walked over to her, drawing her into a hug.

"You didn't sleep very well, did you?"

She didn't answer but hugged him back. Gibbs rubbed her back gently and rested a hand on her head. She looked up at him and blinked back more tears.

"You look like you want to say something. What is it?"

She bit her lip tentatively. "A-are you still mad?"

Gibbs smiled and shook his head. "Nope." Aimee looked uncertain and Gibbs pulled her up into his arms, planting a kiss on her forehead before sitting her on a chair. He reached for a bowl and handed it to her. "Wanna talk about your dream last night?"

Aimee's eyes widened and she shook her head.

Gibbs sat down and poured himself a bowl of cereal. It wasn't exactly the best breakfast but it would have to do this morning. He was late for work already but he didn't want to rush Aimee this morning. He'd texted Tony to let him know he wouldn't be into work until that afternoon.

"I had a bad dream last night too," said Gibbs as he poured cereal for both of them.

"You did?"

Gibbs poured milk and nodded.

Resting on her knees, Aimee took a small bite of her breakfast.

Gibbs thought he'd simplify it. "I dreamed that you and Janessa ran away, and I couldn't find you. Scared me to death."

Aimee chewed and dropped her chin.

"The good news is I woke up to find you all snuggled up with me this morning." He winked and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs," she whispered.

Gibbs smiled at her. "All forgiven, Aims. All is forgiven."

They ate in silence for a long time with Gibbs finishing his coffee and cereal. Thinking he needed a bit of protein to get him through until lunch, he grabbed some eggs from the fridge and pulled out the frying pan.

"Want some eggs?"

She shook her head.

He scrambled some eggs and shredded some cheese over top, thinking of what else he could say to fill in the quietness. Normally he was comfortable with silence but this morning he felt like it was weighing heavy on him.

"Is my real dad a bad man?" Her voice was almost a whisper.

Gibbs turned to look at her in surprise. Aimee hadn't spoken much about David Brody since everything went down with Stratton, and she found out about who Brody was. It was difficult to explain because no one really knew what Brody was thinking. The guy's motives were impossible to discern. To be fair, he never knew he had a daughter until much later in the game and, for whatever reason, the man just didn't have any room in his heart to care. His obsessions far surpassed anything logical.

"Is that who you dreamed about?"

Aimee blinked back a fresh onslaught of tears and nodded.

Gibbs set his eggs on the table and straddled a chair beside Aimee. He patted her knee gently.

"I wish I knew how to answer your questions, Aims, but I don't know David Brody very well. I know he was appointed as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the president of the United States and at the president's pleasure. Do you know what that means?" Aimee shook her head. "It means Brody is very well liked by the President because he handpicked him. I think Brody's heart was in the right place but somewhere along the way, he lost sight of what was really important."

"Why didn't he want me?"

Gibbs felt his heart skip a beat. "Your mom didn't tell him about you, Aimee. For some reason, she kept it a secret from him and you. I'd like to think she had good reason to do that."

"He wanted to kill me for the chip in my head, didn't he?"

Gibbs nodded. "That's one of the reasons he is in jail." As much as Gibbs didn't want to tell Aimee the truth, he felt like she deserved to know. He was fighting hard to gain custody and David Brody was the chink in everything. Gibbs was fighting a tough battle to get Brody's parental rights revoked but he kept running into brick walls. Brody was a wealthy man and still respected by countless people. His work in ending human trafficking was monumental and his followers were having a very difficult time believing he was anything but a hero. Gibbs knew that if Brody got his hands on Aimee, she would be in danger. The chip in her head was far more important to the lunatic than the little girl's life. Aimee meant nothing to him.

"Is he gonna be in jail forever?"

"I don't know the answer to that either. He broke a lot of laws, and he was in a position of trust so that makes him more accountable for his mistakes. He wanted to do something good, Aimee, but he made it an obsession." Gibbs ran a hand over her head in comfort and then tipped up her chin so they were eye to eye, winking at her. The lost expression in her eyes made his heartache. The pain in her young eyes was torture to see. How could a nine-year-old be expected to understand something he didn't? "You're safe, Aimee. He can't hurt you. Is that what you're worried about?"

Aimee looked at the plate of eggs on the table and reached out to push the plate towards him.

"Your eggs are getting cold."

Gibbs steely blue eyes continued to bore a hole into her consciousness, hoping to be able to read her inner thoughts. As fast as he saw that vulnerability appear, she replaced it with another wall. Gibbs silently groaned. She had been so close to letting him in only to shut him out once again.

He shoveled up a forkful of now cold eggs and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly watching her. She kept his eye contact for several minutes and then dropped her chin.

"May I be excused?"

Gibbs nodded and Aimee disappeared from the room.

Gibbs sat eating his eggs reflecting on Aimee's reactions to their chat. It wasn't the first time she'd given him a glimpse of her heart. He didn't know if she had done so because of feeling vulnerable after he'd spanked her or what. He'd welcomed the intimate time they had spent together the evening before. She'd clung to him for the rest of the evening after he'd disciplined her, and it had been nice to see the girl let her guard down. He'd decided that he was going to take a page out his dad's book and have her shadow him. Gibbs remembered the times his father had done that to him after a good hiding, telling him that if he couldn't trust him to make good decisions out of his sight then he'd stay in his sight permanently. Shadowing was just that simple, keeping a child close by your side so that you could re-direct negative behavior before it escalates. Gibbs didn't relish doing it with Aimee, but he felt like it was the best thing to do.

The doorbell rang dragging Gibbs out of his musing. He rose to his feet and wandered out of the kitchen to see Aimee answering the door.

"Aimee!" he admonished, picking up his pace to prevent her from opening the door. "Never open the door without asking who it is. I've told you that before." Gibbs felt his temper flare up, frustration coming out in his voice. After all, Aimee had been through, he couldn't believe that she would be so careless to just open the door. He really needed to train the girls better for safety reasons. Since the kids had moved in with him, his wishy-washy open door policy had been replaced by locks and deadbolts.

Aimee recoiled from him to the foot of the stairs but didn't say anything, a sheepish expression on her face once again. Gibbs could tell she was still gun-shy around him. His conscience pricked him as he sighed and opened the door.

"It's about time, Leroy. It's freezing outside this morning, and since when did you start locking your damned door?"

Gibbs' jaw dropped.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

Jackson Gibbs smiled and Gibbs frowned wondering what was so amusing until he realised that his father was looking past him to Aimee who had taken a few steps forward out of curiosity.

"Are you going to let me inside, son, or leave an old man to freeze on your doorstep?"

Gibbs shook his head, still in shock that his father was standing on his doorstep. He stood aside and watched as his father hobbled inside with his cane helping him stay balanced, carrying his overnight bag with him. Gibbs knew he shouldn't be surprised. His father was known to show up out of the blue, but all the same, he was stunned.

Jackson stopped in front of Aimee who stared at him with her mouth gaping.

"Hello there, child. From the looks of it, you must be Aimee."

Aimee's eyes widened and she took several steps towards Gibbs, alarm gripping her. Gibbs wrapped a protective arm around her.

"Dad, don't frighten her. I thought I told you that we'd come visit you this summer. I haven't had a chance…"

Jackson waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be ridiculous, Leroy, she's my grandchild. I'm not frightening her." Jackson looked at Aimee and smiled at her once more and Aimee tentatively returned the smile. "Abby was kind enough to fill me in on the girls and it got my curiosity up. Who takes care of them when you're at work?"

Gibbs closed the door and stood shell-shocked in the foyer of his own home. Of all the things that could have happened, his father showing up on his doorstep was the furthest from his mind.

"Who's taking care of the store?"

Jackson ignored him and looked at Aimee. "Well, now, little darling, Abby tells me you are nine years old. That's a right nice age to be. Tell me now; what is your favourite thing about being nine?"

Aimee blinked looking completely bewildered.

Gibbs hugged her close. "It's alright, Aims; he's my dad and your Papa Jack. Go on; say hello."

"Hi," she said softly.

Gibbs was somewhat surprised by Aimee's sudden shyness. While Janessa was the one he could count on to be exuberant and outgoing and Aimee to be standoffish, usually, neither one of them was shy.

Jackson set down his bag and sighed irritably. "Well, are you going to show me to my room, or make me stand here all day?"

Gibbs picked up his father's bag and set it at the foot of the steps. "Dad, you can stay in the guest room. Now, are you going to tell me why you're here?"

"Do I need a reason to come visit my son? Besides, from what I've heard, you could use my help. Now, tell me; how is Janessa doing?"

Gibbs groaned and forced himself to take a deep breath. God knew, he loved Abby like a cherished daughter, but right then as he stood staring at his father, Gibbs wanted to throttle her.


	7. Chapter 7

Gibbs drove into the parking lot at NCIS and pulled into the nearest spot. It was half-past 3 in the afternoon, and he wasn't exactly in the best of moods. He probably should have been more appreciative but he still couldn't get past irritable. His dad showing up out of the blue had really thrown him for a loop. It wasn't that he didn't love his dad; he did, but the man could be absolutely insufferable. They had next to nothing in common and if he came right down to it, Gibbs needed time to prepare for his father's visits. Getting caught off guard when he was already up to his ears in difficulties didn't bode well for anyone. The good news was that Aimee and Jackson seemed to hit it off almost immediately once she got past her uncharacteristic moment of shyness. Gibbs had taken some time to take a shower, get dressed and shave and by the time he arrived back downstairs, his father had managed to clean up the entire kitchen and start a baking project with Aimee. Hell, even Abby hadn't been able to interest Aimee in cooking and she was a super cool scientist. Jackson Gibbs was just an old man, but apparently, he had the patience of Job with kids, well, at least other people's kids. Gibbs didn't remember the man being all that patient with his shenanigans as a kid. Gibbs just remembered getting his butt kicked. A lot.

Coming downstairs to see Aimee laughing and covered in flour sincerely put Gibbs in awe of the man. Eventually, his dad managed to convince him to leave Aimee at home with him while he ran to the hospital to sign papers for Janessa's release. Gibbs had tried to take a few minutes to warn his dad about Aimee unpredictability but Jackson refused to listen, telling him he'd make his own assumptions. Jackson insisted he raised Gibbs to be a respectable adult and didn't lose him so he didn't imagine he'd have any trouble with Aimee. Gibbs didn't have the energy to argue with the old codger. One thing Gibbs had learned through the years was it didn't pay to disobey his dad's wishes. It just wasn't worth the hassle or the lecture he'd most certainly receive.

Gibbs stared out the window seeing the duck pond in the distance. The birds happily swam around ducking their heads under the water to feed. His mind turned to Janessa and he was immediately filled with relief. Janessa's short stay in the hospital had been uneventful. Abby had stayed with her the entire night and reported that she had slept and ate well. Gibbs was grateful for Abby stepping up and helping him so he could take some time to deal with Aimee. He didn't know how single parents managed to do it. Parenting children was hard work. Gibbs was very thankful for Abby and the rest of his team. They all were more than happy to step in and help him whenever he needed it. Gibbs felt a pinch of regret over how curt he'd been with Abby when he saw her at the hospital. He basically had scolded her outright for interfering and calling his father. Abby hadn't allowed his reprimand to bother her. She just hugged him and told him he needed his dad and to suck it up. Gibbs scowled at the memory. Abby seemed to get away with more than Tim or Tony. He was positive Tony wouldn't have told him to suck it up. At least he didn't think so. And if he had, Gibbs would have head smacked him into the middle of next week.

Gibbs got out of his car and started making his way to the entrance. His mind was on Janessa. That girl was positively incredible. Everything was exciting and an adventure to her. When he'd checked in on her to wish her a good morning, she'd stood on the hospital bed and jumped up down calling to him. He had barely made it to her bedside before she nearly took a tumble off the bed. There was nothing like a near hazard to get the old ticker pumping in the morning as if his father arriving unannounced hadn't already done that. Of course, Gibbs had scolded Janessa but it hadn't curbed her enthusiasm for long. Her joyful, bubbly personality didn't allow it. She had to have Gibbs sign her cast right away. Her face beamed with pride at her bright neon pink cast. Her eyes shone with delight. She said she was never ever going to take it off. Gibbs knew that was going to be a problem six weeks down the line when it was time to cut it off.

Gibbs reached for the door at the entrance and pulled it open. Once inside, he swiped his key card in the reader and opened the inside security door. He turned to scan his retina when someone bumped smack into him. He reached out and grabbed her before she could take a tumble to the floor.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked the young girl who stared at him.

She nodded and gently pulled her arm away. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry," she replied, brushing her long, auburn hair out of her face.

Gibbs noticed that the young girl of about 13 or 14 had a visitor's key card clipped to her jacket but he didn't recognise who she was. The tag clearly stated that she needed to be accompanied by an adult, as it was with any minor in the building, not that his girls ever listened to the rule either.

"Who're you supposed to with?" he asked, his voice not unkind.

The young girl blinked as a guilty expression washed over her face.

Gibbs smiled and reached out his hand to greet her. "My name's Agent Gibbs." In those moments as he looked at the uncomfortable teen, he was glad he had agreed to let Abby bring Janessa to daycare that afternoon. The teen girl took a few steps away back and looked ready to bolt away from him in the opposite direction. Gibbs held up his hands as a gesture of peace.

"Makayla Wallace, just where do you think you're going?" scolded a very cross voice from a distance.

Gibbs blinked several times in surprise when he saw Jenny Sheppard stalk up to the girl and take her by the arm. The young teen's face fell, tears swimming in her eyes.

"Nowhere now, obviously," she mumbled softly.

"You're damned right you're not." Jenny eyed Gibbs suspiciously and launched her bad mood in his direction. "Why are you so late?" she snapped.

Gibbs lifted a brow. "Stopped at the hospital to sign some papers about Janessa, remember? That a problem Madam Director?"

Jenny grimaced at Gibb's cold reply but she knew she was out of line for how she was speaking to him. Gibbs turned to the young teen still being held firmly by Jenny.

"So, you're Jenn's niece. Nice to meet you." He offered his hand for her to shake and the girl accepted it politely.

"Hello," said the girl looking uncomfortable under her aunt's scrutiny.

"Makayla is staying with me while her parents are in Europe." Jenny felt compelled to explain. Gibbs remembered and nodded. "I went to pick her up at her school today but couldn't seem to find her. Apparently, she thought it was a good idea to skip school today."

"I told you, Aunt Jenny, I wasn't skipping, honest. Mr. Sanderson said I could take some extra time doing my…"

"The headmaster called me and reported you absent, Makayla. If your teacher had given you permission, I'm sure that would have been reported to the school attendance office, don't you think?"

Gibbs stood by uncomfortably watching Jenny scold her niece. He found himself feeling sorry for the youngster who tried to clarify herself while Jenny ignored her explanation. He listened for several minutes until he could keep silent no longer which was saying something.

Gibbs put a hand on Jenn's shoulder. "Seems to me like you need to do some fact checking, Madame Director, before you continue to cajole the witness into pleading guilty."

Jenny hit him with a scathing look which struck Gibbs as a tad humorous. After the day he'd had, Jenny's overreaction felt amusing to him.

Makayla's eyes looked pleadingly towards Gibbs as she sensed a comrade in him.

"I'm telling the truth, Aunt Jenny, please believe me."

Jenny huffed and crossed her arms.

"Mom told me that you weren't coming until tomorrow to get me so I never thought to call you and let you know that I wouldn't be at school. I'm sorry."

"Makayla, you're in eighth grade, for heavens sakes. You don't get to decide if you skip school or not. Boarding school doesn't exist for you to make your own rules. Your parents placed you in that school to prepare you for entrance into Xavier next year. The competition to get in is steep. Don't you want to be at the same school as your sisters?"

Gibbs saw Makayla's face cloud over at the mention of the prestigious Prep school. He had to say he couldn't blame the girl. Gibbs was a small town boy, born and raised in the small town of Stillwater, Pennsylvania. He never understood the need for parents to force their kids into going to snobby Prep schools. In his opinion, all it did was make more snobs for the world to contend with, more people who thought they were the be all and end all.

"Yes, Aunt Jenny," said the girl looking defeated.

"Alright then. I guess I need to punish you for skipping school." Gibbs felt like he had to bite back a smirk. Seeing Jenny in a parenting position was way too amusing to him. She was the director of NCIS and a hard ass in every sense of the word, but when it came to kids, she was clueless. "You are staying with me for a undeterminable amount of time," began Jenny, her voice not sounding very authoritative, "So I'm thinking a one-week grounding should be sufficient. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to call the headmaster and speak with him. Minors must be accompanied by…"

"I can walk her inside, Jenn. Maybe introduce her to Abbs," suggested Gibbs. Jenn nodded and continued to glare at her niece reprovingly. Makayla dropped her head in complete and utter discouragement. Gibbs felt his heart go out to the kid. "Rule three, Jenn." Jenny looked him straight in the eye with a scathing glare before spinning on her heel and walking away, her high heels clipping tersely on the linoleum floor.

Gibbs heard the teen girl beside him heaved a heavy sigh as she dropped her arms to her side.

"What's rule three?" she asked, looking dejected.

Gibbs smiled and winked at her. "I'll tell you later. C'mon."

Gibbs walked towards the elevators, scanning his key card once more. Makayla followed suit and trailed behind him into the lift. Once inside, Gibbs pressed the correct floor and the elevator began its ascent to the bullpen.

"You okay?" he asked noticing how crestfallen she looked.

She nodded.

"I do interrogations quite often and I've learned to read people pretty well. When you do it as often as I do, you get to figure out when people are telling the truth and when they are feeding you a line."

Makayla's watery eyes met his, a guilty expression flooding her face.

"I'm a good listener if you want to talk."

Makayla chewed her bottom lip. "Mr. Sanderson did say I could take extra time to complete my assignment." She hesitated.

"I believe you."

"You do?"

"Yup."

Gibbs looked around the elevator watching the numbers light up as they passed floors.

"Agent Gibbs?"

He looked at her.

"I really didn't need extra time to finish my assignment but I asked for the time anyway."

Gibbs pushed the emergency stop button as he noticed they were approaching his floor. Makayla needed more time to talk and he was fine with giving it to her. The young girl's eyes widened when the elevator came to a halt and the lights went out.

"Give it a minute and the auxiliary lights will come on," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Why…"

"Makayla, I get the feeling you need some time to talk so I'm giving that to you. Don't worry; people are used to me using the elevator as my office." Gibbs offered her a warm smile.

The emergency lights came on, casting a shadow on the small space.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Cause I lied."

"Not to me, you didn't."

Makayla blinked.

"Why did you ask for extra time if you didn't need it?"

"I just needed some time alone. Do you ever just need space Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes, I guess I do."

Makayla's eyes glimmered with tears. "It's never quiet at boarding school, and I don't get time to myself. Everything is always loud and everyone is always minding everyone else's business. When my mom said they were going away, I asked my teacher if I could have more time on my assignment and when he said yes, I took the bus to my house."

"And?" prompted Gibbs, appreciating where the girl was coming from.

Makayla looked up at him with her watery green eyes. "I didn't do anything wrong, Agent Gibbs. I just watched television; that's all."

"I believe you."

"You do?"

"Yep."

Makayla managed a small smile.

"Now, how about you tell Jenny that and save yourself being grounded."

A tear escaped down her cheek and she wiped it away. "I can't," she whispered.

"Why?"

"Because Aunt Jenny is just like my mom and dad. All they ever talk about is Xavier Preparatory and how important it is, but no one asks me what I want."

Gibbs turned back to face the door. He never could understand the huge pressure put on kids to prepare for college and university at as young an age as 3 or 4 years old. Parents searching for the best pre-school for 18-month-old babies. It was absurd. Kids should have time to be kids. Hell, even 17-year-olds didn't know what they wanted to do with themselves in college; how could they expect a 13-year-old.

"What _do_ you want, Makayla?" He looked at her once more.

Her eyes seem to light up at his question. "I want to be an artist."

Gibbs smiled. "You any good?"

She nodded. "I think so." She slipped her backpack off her back and pulled out a notebook. She flipped it open and handed it to Gibbs to see. Gibbs brows met his hairline. Not only was Makayla a gifted artist, her work was phenomenal. Gibbs flipped through her notebook in awe of the young girl's talent. The notebook was filled with pencil drawings of people, animals, landscapes and the emotions the drawings evoked took his breath away.

"Don't say you think so, Makayla. Say yes and say it with confidence." Gibbs handed the notebook back to her and flipped the switch, starting the lift once more. Makayla's whole face lit up, the tears still falling down her cheeks. "You don't waste good. You own it."

The lift opened and Gibbs walked off, walking directly towards the bullpen. From the corner of his eye, he saw Makayla stuff her notebook back into her backpack with an even bigger grin settling in on her face. Gibbs smiled brightly as well thinking that he'd made a new friend.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Gibbs stepped into Abby's lab carrying a Caf-Pow and one black rose. Abby had summoned him to come so seeing as he owed her more than he could ever repay, he thought he'd arrive bearing gifts. As usual, he was assaulted by ear-splitting music as he entered the room. He winced and straightaway flicked the noise pollution off instantly alerting Abby to his presence. Abby came running from her office embracing him with genuine affection. Gibbs returned the hug with a chuckle. He was most definitely getting soft in his olden days.

"What have you got for me, Abbs?"

Abby pulled away, noticing the rose and caffeinated drink. "Gibbs! Gibbs!" She took the rose he handed to her and smelled it. Gibbs didn't understand Abby's morbid love of black roses but who was he to judge. His first wife, Shannon, had adored lilies and he always indulged her as often as he thought of it. Seeing the smile on her face was worth every penny he spent on them and he felt the same for Abby. Abby took the Caf-Pow as well and took a long sip of it.

"I cannot even tell you how much I needed that, Gibbs."

"Was it a rough night at the hospital, Abbs?" he asked as he watched her put her rose in water and set it by her computer desk in her office.

"I already told you, Gibbs. Nessie and I slept like babies. They came and woke her every couple of hours but she hardly woke up long enough to notice. That girl sleeps like a rock."

Gibbs smirked. "I know but she still somehow always manages to end up in my bed by morning."

"Well, I may have climbed in with her instead, just to prevent the wandering and missing you."

"Thanks, Abby."

"Not a problem; now, tell me, how is Jack?"

Gibbs turned an eerily dangerous look Abby's way but she ignored it as she walked over to her computer.

"Okay, not a good subject. Got it, Gibbs. So, the Petty Officer was shot three times with a…"

Gibbs walked over to Abby and stood directly behind her, breaking all the rules of a keeping a personal bubble. He heard Abby gulp loudly and stop mid-sentence. She slowly turned and felt the back of her computer desk digging into her back.

"You don't want to hear about that right now, I'm guessing."

Gibbs stared at her deadpan. Abby swallowed and tried to wiggle her way out from behind her desk but Gibbs put an arm on the counter preventing her from moving.

"Gibbs," she whined.

"Abby, what possessed you to call Jack?"

"You did, Gibbs."

Gibbs scowled.

"You can't keep doing things how you're doing them. Something has to give and your dad has time on his hands."

"He has the store to run."

"It's a general store in Stillwater, Gibbs. How many people need to buy canned peas or applesauce in that town?"

Gibbs steely glare made Abby visually gulp but, despite his attempt at intimidation, Abby did not back down.

"Gibbs, what's it going to take before you admit you need more help than we all can give you? Aimee almost died in a morgue drawer. Janessa fell from an 8-foot fence. You and Aimee spend more time fighting than you do sleeping, Gibbs. You need Jack's help."

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose and began to pace the length of Abby's lab. Abby took a deep breath in relief. She hated it when Gibbs was angry with her, but she knew she was right whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"Jack has time on his hands, Gibbs. He is the girl's grandfather and he's more patient than you are." Gibbs stopped and glared at her. "Well, he does, Gibbs. He could take a lot of pressure off you balancing childcare and babysitting. It's October and the girls don't start school until January. How do you plan to keep Aimee busy until then? You can't keep making her sit at your desk every day. She's far too inquisitive for that and she's going to keep getting into trouble."

Gibbs turned his back to her and willed himself to stay calm. Abby had a point and he hated to admit it. As much as he tried to get his neighbour to watch Aimee, that only seemed to work out a couple days a week. Aimee more times than not end up at NCIS with him and he didn't have the time to keep a proper eye on her. It wasn't fair to her and he wasn't keeping his mind on his job.

He spun on his heel. "You shouldn't have gone behind my back."

Abby looked nervously at him. "Would you have agreed to call him had I asked?"

"Hell, no!"

"Then I rest my case."

Gibbs growled. Abby cautiously approached him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his cheek.

"You're welcome, Gibbs."

Gibbs kissed her in return and turned to leave the lab.

"Hey, don't you want to hear about the weapon?"

"Later, Abbs," said Gibbs, waving as he left the lab.

Abby smiled. "Say hi to Jack for me," she called after him.

She stood staring into the emptiness of the room. "Even Superheroes need help sometimes."

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Gibbs lay back on the sofa and adjusted the pillow behind his head. It felt good to put his feet up and it felt good to have eaten a healthy, well-balanced meal. He'd come home with Janessa to find that his father had prepared a hearty meal. He hated to admit it, but Abby had been right. His father was exactly what he needed. For once, his house wasn't in disarray and no one had to scurry around in a panic to make a meal. Abby had been ecstatic to see Jack but had very quickly excused herself for the evening. Gibbs noticed how exhausted she looked. He felt sure it was because of spending the night in the hospital with Nessie. Janessa had immediately taken to her Papa Jack as well and Gibbs wasn't surprised. Jack was a natural at being a doting grandpa Gibbs was being to think that some people were made to be parents and others were made to grandparents. Jackson Gibbs exemplified patience as a grandfather that he never had as a father. Or maybe it wasn't Jackson at all. Maybe it had all been on Gibbs. Things had been really hard after his mother died, and Gibbs hadn't given Jack much of a break with his teenage attitude.

The phone rang beside his ear and he went to reach for it when Janessa rushed into the room and snatched the receiver from under his hand. Gibbs had to laugh at her speed. For some reason the kid was fascinated with answering the phone.

"Hullo," she said brightly.

Gibbs sat up and waved his hand at her, reminding her of the proper way she should answer the phone.

"Oh yah, I'm supposed to say Janessa speaking," she continued.

Gibbs had to bite back a laugh. He watched as Janessa listened to the person on the other end of the line. The little girl furrowed her brow as she listened.

"No." She said before stopping to listen some more. "Okay, bye." She hung up the phone and went to skip from the room. Gibbs did laugh this time and he was on his feet in seconds, scooping her up into his arms. "Mr. Gibbs," she protested as he cradled her. "I gots to help Papa Jack dry the dishes."

He planted a kiss on her forehead, being careful not to bump her injured arm. "Who was on the phone, kiddo?"

Janessa giggled. "Davy."

"Who's Davy?"

"Aimee's friend."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and leaned forward, pushing up her t-shirt with his cheek and blowing a zerbert on her stomach. Janessa squealed and kicked her feet up and down as she dissolved into a fit of giggles. The noise brought Jackson hobbling to the family room, wondering what was going on. Aimee was on his heels and soon was standing in front of him laughing as well. She picked up a pillow from the nearby chair and starting whapping Gibbs with it.

"Hey!" He said with a laugh, realising that it was Aimee's way of wanting his attention as well. He considered that a good sign.

"Get 'im Aimee!" giggled Janessa when she saw Aimee smacking Gibbs with the pillow.

Gibbs set Janessa to the floor and grabbed Aimee around the waist, throwing her over his shoulder and playfully swatting her backside. Aimee kicked her feet and screamed out in a fit of laughter as well. Janessa began tickling his sides and tried to push him onto the sofa. Gibbs purposely fell onto the sofa, pulling Aimee towards him and snuggling her in his arms. Janessa crawled up into his lap and sat on both of them. All three of them were gasping for air as they laughed and giggled together. Jackson stood watching from afar with a humorous expression gracing his face.

"I'm not sure who is the biggest kid, Leroy," commented the old man.

Gibbs chuckled as he managed to pull Janessa off on him. He looked at his father with a bashful grin.

"Janessa, I thought you said you were going to help me dry them dishes. They aren't gonna dry themselves, you know."

Janessa grabbed the pillow and hit Gibbs square in the face. Gibbs intercepted the pillow and went to grab her again but she shrieked and ran to hide behind Jackson. Jackson looked amused but then ushered the small child into the kitchen with him. Gibbs snuggled up beside Aimee and rubbed his scruffy face against hers. She pushed his face away in dismay but her eyes were twinkling. Gibbs smiled and winked at her. These were the times he stashed away in his memory to help him get through the tough times.

"Who's Davy?" he asked.

Aimee furrowed her brow. "How should I know?"

"Ness said someone called you named Davy."

Aimee's face was blank. "I dunno anyone named Davy, Gibbs."

Gibbs shrugged. "Guess it was the wrong number."

He settled back into the sofa and Aimee seemed content to snuggle up beside him.

"Did you enjoy hanging out with Papa Jack today?"

"Yah, he's really cool. We did some baking and then he read me one of your books. You never told me you had kid books, Gibbs."

Gibbs lifted a brow trying to think what book his dad would have read to her. As far as he knew, he'd given all of Kelly's children's books away, and even if he'd kept any, most of them would have been likely too old and outdated to interest Aimee.

"Oh yah, what's it about?" Gibbs was an avid reader. He'd rather read than do just about anything else, other than woodworking that is.

"Well, I dunno the title but it's about a family that got shipwrecked on a deserted island. Their entire ship was ruined in a real bad storm. They have four boys and…" Gibbs listened as Aimee described the book with enthusiasm. Gibbs smiled when he recognised the story. He knew for a fact he didn't own that book, but he also knew that never stopped his father from telling a good story. Swiss Family Robinson was one of Jackson's favourite stories.

"Do you like to read, Aims?"

The little girl's eyes sparkled at the question. "Sure I do. Who doesn't love reading books! You can travel all over the place in a book. I once saw this movie called Nim's Island and the girl in that movie sees books in her head just like me."

Gibbs wasn't familiar with the movie but he hoped he could be. He really wanted to make a concerted effort to get to know Aimee better. Just then the phone rang and again just as Gibbs reached out to grab the receiver, Janessa high-tailed into the room and snatched it out right from under his hand. Gibbs sat in disbelief. Janessa would give the energizer bunny a run for his money.

"Hullo, Janessa speaking," she said with a smirk. Gibbs gave her a thumbs up for remembering to answer correctly. Janessa listened for a few seconds and then handed the phone to Aimee. "It's your friend, Davy."

Aimee looked at Gibbs and shrugged but took the phone and put it to her ear.

"Hello?"

Gibbs waited for Aimee to say something but she didn't. She just sat stunned with the phone to her ear. He watched in alarm as her eyes filled with tears and cascaded down her cheeks. He immediately reached out to snatch the phone from Aimee but she stood to her feet and ran to the opposite side of the room. Still, she didn't say anything.

"Aimee, what's wrong? Give me the phone." Gibbs was on his feet and across the room within seconds. He reached for the phone again but Aimee ducked past him and disappeared lickety-split up the stairs.

"Dad," called Gibbs, "Is the cordless phone in the kitchen?"

Jackson came out holding a tea towel in one hand and the cordless phone in the other. "Where's the gall-darned fire, Leroy?"

Gibbs ignored his father's sarcasm and snatched the phone, putting it to his ear as he took off running towards the steps after Aimee. Much to his dismay, all he heard was dead air.


	8. Chapter 8

Gibbs slid his back down the wall until he was comfortably sitting beside Aimee. Her knees were drawn tightly up to her chest and her face was hidden as she sobbed. Gibbs placed a comforting hand on the back of her head. He gently stroked her head searching his mind for the right words to say. His mind was spinning in a hundred different directions and he didn't know if he was going to speak the right words. Looking down, he saw the phone lying on the floor beside Aimee.

"Who was it, kiddo?"

"No one! Go away!" she shouted, shuffling her body away from him.

Gibbs furrowed his brow in concern at her response. He hadn't expected anger.

"Something about that call upset you, Aims. Who is Davy?"

Aimee looked up at him, her face red from crying. "I don't know!"

"Aimee…"

She stood to her feet and came towards him with her fists swinging. Gibbs was taken aback. He never expected her to be so volatile.

"It's none of your damned business! Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?"

Gibbs covered his face and quickly pushed himself to his feet. Aimee managed to get in a few punches before he recovered enough to restrain her. He flipped her around so she was facing outward and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She'd had enough temper tantrums and out of control outbursts that he had become pretty seasoned at handling them. Her out-of-control emotions frightened her more than it did him. He could see the terror in her blue eyes. His strong, comforting arms were not unkind. He tried to radiate comfort and love as he held her. Aimee struggled in his arms, shouting and cussing at him. He held her patiently waiting for her to calm down.

Gibbs could feel her heart pounding in her chest as he held her. His mind whirled as he tried to speculate who could have called her and set her off like that. As if on cue, the phone rang again. He glanced at it considering his options. He could let it ring and have it answered by the Energizer bunny downstairs or he could answer it himself, risking Aimee escaping from his arms. He didn't relish chasing her and he didn't trust that she wouldn't run off; not in her current state of mind. And he didn't want to have to revisit a punishment for running away with her, not this soon after the last, but he knew he needed to be completely consistent with his discipline concerning running away. It was far too dangerous of a habit to let fester into a full-blown pattern.

"Don't answer it, Gibbs!" Aimee screamed suddenly, jolting Gibbs back to the present.

The phone kept ringing and Gibbs wondered if Jackson was preventing Janessa from grabbing it. He hoped so.

"Why not? Who is Davy, Aimee?"

"I don't know!" she screamed again.

Still, the phone rang.

Gibbs decided to take the risk and reached out to grab the receiver.

Aimee used that moment to jerk herself free from his grip. Gibbs' hands were sweaty from trying to hold her. As he reached forward to grab her again, she smacked the receiver from his hand and it went flying across the floor. Aimee scrambled to grab the phone before Gibbs could regain his footing.

"Aimee." Gibbs' voice was stern.

Aimee reached the phone first and fired it at the wall as hard as she could. The receiver sprang apart, the plastic pieces flying across the room and the battery hanging by the wire. Despite the abuse, the phone still rang loudly. Gibbs was able to retrieve the phone and put what was left of it to his ear. Static and a garbled voice greeted him.

"Who is this?" he demanded only to hear a loud click in his ear.

Aimee glared at him, breathing hard and dropping to her knees by the wall closest to the door. Gibbs gave a silent gasp of relief. He expected her to bolt from the room but instead, she just knelt there silently glaring at him. Gibbs walked towards her and scooped her up in his arms, expecting a fight and not disappointed. Aimee immediately began to pitch a fit. Gibbs ignored her and set her on her bed, squatting to her level and looking sternly into her eyes.

"Enough." He gave her a firm shake.

Aimee's eyes widened but she didn't stop trying to peel his hands from her forearms.

Gibbs shook her again, his patience dangerously thin. He narrowed an eye at her and checked himself in order to see how much temper he had left to deal with her.

"Continue pitching this fit and I'm going to put you across my knee." He stated simply.

He felt Aimee freeze in his arms. The look that came across her face told him that she remembered what that felt like and was giving it a great deal of thought. Tears clouded her vision and she sat still breathing heavily. Gibbs continued his intense stare. Her being able to stop in the middle of her meltdown told him a great deal about her. Aimee was in control of herself and he tucked that away for future thought. Her ability to control herself told him that some, certainly not all, but some of her tantrums were in her control.

"Now that you're listening to my voice, tell me who is Davy and what did he say that upset you so much?"

Aimee began to struggle again, albeit less intensely all the while keeping a sharp eye on Gibbs reactions. Gibbs was able to tell that she was being cautious with him now. And her guardedness had nothing to do with being afraid of him. Aimee was not afraid of him at all. She was gauging how much she could get away with before he made good on his promise. Gibbs wasn't going to disappoint her.

"Sit still and answer me." It felt to Gibbs like they were engaged in some kind of game he never signed up to play.

Aimee continued to struggle but almost half-heartedly now.

"Who…?"

"I told you I don't know!" she screamed in his face.

Gibbs glared at her. "Lower your voice and speak politely, Aimee."

Aimee glowered back at him but stopped struggling. "Lemme go, Gibbs."

Gibbs released her but remained in her personal bubble. "If you don't know Davy then why did you react like you did?"

"I don't know!"

"Aimee, what aren't you telling me?"

The blond haired girl in front of him closed her eyes momentarily, licking her lips and Gibbs wondered what was going to happen next. Would she open her eyes and completely lose it on him or would she remain calm and answer him? Gibbs knelt back on his haunches preparing himself for the worst. Aimee was unpredictable at the best of times, and he simply did not know what she would do at any given moment. Her bottom lip trembled slightly as tears tumbled down her cheeks. She opened her eyes as her chin quivered.

"Please, Gibbs, leave me alone." Aimee's voice came out as an earnest, almost whispered plea.

Gibbs heaved a weary sigh. "Okay." He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You know where I am if you want to talk."

Aimee nodded and turned from him, walking to her bed and lying down on it. She turned her body away from him and curled up in a ball. Her small frame shuddered, letting him see that she was crying still. The uncanny way she had forced herself to calm down and speak quietly blew him away. If Aimee had learned anything the past couple months, it was self-control. Gibbs had to say he was impressed. The only trouble was that he didn't know if that control had been brought on because of his love and support or because of fear. Aimee was hard to read.

Gibbs picked up the remains on the phone and left the room softly shutting the door behind him. His whole being was screaming at him to go back in and comfort her but he knew there would be no point. Aimee was hiding something from him and until she decided to share her secrets with him, he wouldn't be able to help her.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Tony sat at his desk going over evidence about the case they were currently working on. He massaged his temples trying to fight back the tension headache building in the back of his head.

"Probie, you got any Advil?"

Tim looked up from his desk and frowned. "That's the third time today that you've asked, Tony. You okay?"

Tony chewed on his bottom lip. "I didn't ask for a tally, McNosy, I just wanted some Advil. Geesh."

Tim sighed and tossed him the bottle from his desk drawer. "Keep it."

"Thanks, Tim."

Tony chased the medication down with his cold latte and stood up with an annoyed sigh, tossing the bottle in his desk drawer. "Seen Gibbs?"

Tim stood up and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "I think he went to get Janessa from daycare." Tim looked at his watch. "Its past 6, Tony, you should call it a day and go home."

"I thought Gibbs' old man was watching the kids for him," said Tony, grabbing his jacket as well.

"He's watching Aimee during the day I guess. Janessa still comes to daycare to give the old guy a break. Gibbs' dad isn't getting any younger."

Loud music greeted them settling Tony's teeth on edge. His head wasn't in the mood for anything loud. Tony straightened his jacket collar as Abby entered the bullpen in her normal happy-go-Abby manner. Tony wasn't sure how the Goth could be so perma-happy all the time. Sometimes it was downright aggravating. And as if that wasn't bad enough to Tony's pounding head, Jenny's niece, Makayla came barreling into him from behind, screaming at the top of her lungs. Tony grimaced and exchanged a painful look with Tim as Jenny joined the scene as well. Music blaring, screaming teen and Jenny shouting words that couldn't be heard over the music.

"HOLD IT!" shouted Tony, his anger getting the best of him. He reached out and snatched the phone from Abby's hand. "How do you turn this thing off, Abbs?"

Abby scowled at him and snatched the phone back, turning the music off. "Well, aren't you a Mr. Crabby Apple."

"I'm not going home with you, Aunt Jenny! You can forget it. I am old enough to stay at my own house without you!" shouted Makayla.

"You're 14 years old," stated Jenny, buttoning up her jacket indignantly. "Your parents put me in charge of your sassy self so stop with the attitude and let's go home."

Makayla rolled her eyes.

Abby fiddled with her phone and more music blasted.

"Abby, shut that thing off and go home!" snapped Jenny, glaring at her.

Abby switched off the music. "Oops, sorry." Abby looked genuinely repentant, recognising that Jenny looked irked. "I'm waiting for Gibbs, Director Shepard."

Jenny ignored Abby's explanation and reached for Makayla's arm. "Let's go, young lady."

Makayla yanked her arm away hard, swinging it backward hitting Tony square in the stomach.

Tony groaned and as he glanced over, he saw the amused look on McGee's face. Tony hit him with an annoyed grimace.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" screamed Makayla, storming out of the bullpen and bumping into Gibbs with Janessa in his arms.

All at once, everyone began speaking at once. Tony stood dumbfounded watching the train wreck takes it course. Tim high-tailed it to the elevator and escaped the aftermath which Tony very much envied. If Tony had had his wits about him, he would have followed suit. Instead, he stood watching the chaos unfold. Abby was attempting to calm Makayla down and Jenny was shouting like only a vexed, short-tempered redhead could.

"STOP!" said Gibbs rather loudly, setting Janessa to her feet.

Janessa scrambled towards Tony and hid behind him. Tony looked around wishing he could find someone to hide behind as well. No one liked to mess with Jenny Shepard when she was pissed.

"Jethro, stay out of this!" demanded Jenny, once more reaching for her niece. "We are leaving right now, Makayla Wallace. I've had just about enough of your impudence for one day. We will discuss this at home."

Makayla's face reddened further. She adjusted the backpack on her shoulder and glared at her aunt.

"There is nothing to discuss, Aunt Jenny. What would be the point? You don't listen to me anyway. I'm leaving!" With those words, Makayla again made to leave the bullpen only to be stopped by Gibbs.

Tony took a few steps backward and leaned on his desk. His head was pounding and he wanted to go home more than anything in that moment, but one look at the blond headed monster clinging to his leg told him he needed to stay put until Gibbs was finished.

"Hey, running away is going to solve this, Makayla," Gibbs said gently.

Makayla yanked her arm away. "Stay out of this Agent Gibbs. This doesn't concern you."

Tony blinked both in amazement and in awe of the young teen's tenacity. Leroy Jethro Gibbs did not intimidate her in the least.

Jenny took a few steps forward. "I couldn't have said it better myself. Back off, Jethro."

Tony smirked. Jenny Shepard wasn't intimidated by Gibbs either, much to Tony's amusement.

Abby stepped forward, her pale face full of concern. "Can I suggest…"

"NO!" snapped Jenny. Her patience had reached its end. "Makayla is going to take her skinny butt out to my car right now or she will find herself grounded for another week." Jenny glared at the young teen. "Am I making myself perfectly clear?"

A wounded expression swept over Abby's face as she took a few steps back. Abby was ever the peacemaker.

"Jenn, calm down," began Gibbs, turning to face Jenn and keep his hand poised to grab Makayla should she decide to bolt again. "What's going on?"

"Makayla thought it would be a great idea to skip school again…"

Makayla groaned. "For Pete's sake, I didn't…ugh…why can't you just listen and take my side for a change instead of listening to that idiot principal? You're just like my mom. She doesn't listen to me either!" Makayla struggled to free herself from Gibbs' tight grip when he instinctively grabbed her arm before she could bolt from the bullpen. "Let me go, Agent Gibbs. Please."

"Mak, I think you and your aunt need to go someplace and talk…" suggested Gibbs.

Jenny glared at Makayla. "There is nothing to talk about, Jethro," she snapped. "Makayla, I'm finished discussing this with you. You do the crime, you pay the fine."

Gibbs looked at Jenny feeling about as exasperated as Makayla looked. He'd had his own run-ins with Jenny and when she chose to be pig-headed and obstinate, there was no talking to her. Gibbs looked at Makayla who had tears in her eyes. He could see many emotions in the young teen's eyes and a part of him wished that Aimee was that transparent. He exchanged a look of sympathy with Makayla hoping his silent compassion might help console her. So far he'd been impressed with the youngster's ability to stay polite despite being so upset.

Gibbs nodded his head at the young teen girl, motioning to her to head to the elevator. For some reason, ever since Gibbs had met Makayla, they seemed to have formed a bond with one another. Gibbs couldn't quite place his finger on why but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. They might have been kindred spirits or something crazy like that. Gibbs had to bite back a smirk at the thought. If that was true, it was going to drive Jenny batty. He almost liked that thought.

"DiNozzo, would you mind dropping Abby and Ness at home for me? Jack is there with Aimee. Hopefully, he is still alive."

Tony grimaced at Gibbs. His pounding headache was still plaguing him and, truthfully, he just wanted to go home and sleep it off. Gibbs didn't seem to notice his protégé's painful grimace and when he didn't respond, Gibbs turned to see his pained look.

"DiNozzo?"

Tony rubbed a hand over his face and stooped to pick up Janessa who had been uncharacteristically quiet while watching the proceedings with large eyes.

"Aren't you coming, Mr. Gibbs?" asked the small girl softly.

Gibbs shook his head. "I will soon, Nessie." Gibbs looked at Tony again. "You okay, Tony?"

Tony blinked his eyes with a grimace. "Uh, yah, just got a nasty headache, Boss."

Gibbs walked towards Tony, his face filled with concern. Something didn't feel right to him in the moment. Tony's face paled suddenly and his right eye began to twitch. As Gibbs reached out just in time to grab Janessa as Tony stumbled to keep his balance. Jenny rushed over and grabbed Janessa so Gibbs could help keep Tony from falling to the floor. Abby stood staring in alarm.

"How long has this been going on, Tony?" asked Gibbs as he helped Tony sit down in the closest chair.

"Tony!" gasped Abby, rushing to his side.

Tony lifted his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes and temples. His face was flushed and perspiration sprinkled his forehead. Jenny came closer holding out a glass of water, Janessa still riding her hip. Tony gratefully took the water and drank some, feeling lightheaded and unsteady. His temples were pounding as he felt his pulse beat loudly in his head.

"It's nothing," he managed to say as he looked up to see four sets of eyes staring at him in alarm. "I've been nursing this migraine all day. Probie gave me some Advil. I'm sure it will go away in time. I just need some sleep." Tony went to stand only to have Gibbs force him back down in his chair.

"Abbs, get Ducky."

Tony groaned as Abby nodded and all but ran from the bullpen. "Seriously, Boss, I don't need Ducky…"

Gibbs glared at him. "Can it, DiNozzo."

Tony sighed. "Canning it, Boss," he muttered and slumped in his chair.

Gibbs sat on the edge of Tony's desk looking intently parental which only served to make Tony more uncomfortable, not to mention increasingly irritated.

"You gots a sore head, Tony?" asked Janessa, slipping down from Jenny's hold and forcing her way in between Tony's legs. She put her tiny hands on his face and patted it kindly.

Tony managed a small smile in response. He couldn't resist Janessa's sweet concern for him but his head was pounding too much to answer her.

"Well, I think Makayla and I will head out…" began Jenny looking at Gibbs.

"Makayla left already, Director Jenny," said Janessa quietly, alerting the rest of the adults to the fact that Makayla had taken the opportunity to run off while their attention had been elsewhere.

Gibbs looked up and scanned the bullpen, his heart beating a little faster in his chest. The color drained from Jenny's face as she also noticed the teen was missing. Gibbs rubbed the back of his head with a groan. What was it about the little girls in his life and their constant need to take off? It was enough to make Gibbs crazy.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hi Readers:**_

 _ **Sorry so long between updates. I haven't abandoned you, I promise.**_

Gibbs exchanged a weary look with Jenny. A very small part of him was finding the whole situation comical on some kind of crazy level. Who would have ever guessed that he and Jenny would be in the role of parenting? Way back when they were in Paris together, Gibbs had entertained the thought of asking Jenny to do life together. He had felt that desire to commit. It had been both a scary and comforting feeling. After Shannon was killed, he hadn't thought he'd ever feel that longing for commitment again. Jenny seemed to be the one who drew that emotion out of him. Jenny Shepard made him crazy; she frustrated him and made him angrier than Shannon ever did, but he felt alive when he was with her.

Gibbs' heart went out to her. She looked so out of her element. Jenny wasn't used to taking care of anyone but herself. And Jenny wasn't even very good at that. He'd seen her go through so many things while he'd known her, but the expression on her face was pure anguish and he knew that feeling. Children had a way of worming themselves into your heart and nothing was ever the same.

"Security found her, Jenn," he reassured her once again as they walked side by side.

Jenny stopped walking and turned to look at him. "I have no idea what I'm doing, Jethro. Who am I to think I can parent a teenager?"

Gibbs hit the button on the elevator and they both entered the lift. Jenny leaned against the wall looking utterly defeated.

"Jenn, you are the director of NCIS. You make life-altering decisions every day."

Jenny gave him an exasperated look. "This is not the same, Jethro. You interrogate criminals on a daily basis yet you can't get a nine-year-old girl to answer your questions."

Gibbs nodded. "True. I never said I had all the answers. What's with you and Mak anyway? What did she do that was so bad?"

"She keeps skipping school. She won't talk to me about it and whenever I try, she shuts me out!"

"Did you check out her story, Jenn? Rule three…"

Jenny glared at him. "Screw your damn rules. I believe the headmaster at the school. This isn't a conspiracy, Jethro. Makayla is in eighth grade, for Pete's sake."

"Have you bothered to ask her why she skips?"

"It doesn't matter why, damn it! She cannot skip school."

Gibbs sighed. "So, what now? What are you going to do?"

Jenny ran a hand through her hair and heaved a weary sigh. "I don't know."

"She can't run off on you, Jenn. Trust me; it's not a habit you want to foster."

"You don't think I know that?" she snapped. Gibbs was deadpan. He was more than used to Jenn's fiery temper. It didn't faze him. Jenny groaned. "What do you want me to do?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Me? I don't want you to do anything. Not my kid, Jenn. All I'm saying is that somewhere along the line, the two of you stopped communicating. Mak isn't a bad kid."

"I never said she was and her name is Makayla, Jethro. Would it kill you to use her proper name?"

Gibbs ignored her ire. The lift reached the lower floor and he exited knowing Jenny would be on his heels. They walked quietly towards the security office. Makayla had been stopped because she wasn't wearing her visitor badge. No one in NCIS could get in or out with the proper badge. Security was tight, even more so since some of the incidents with Aimee. Just as they turned the corner, Jenny stopped walking.

"Would you talk to her?"

Gibbs stopped and frowned. "Me?"

Jenny's grey eyes shimmered and gave him a pleading look. "Please, Jethro."

Gibbs brows met his hairline as his mind whirled. He had his own hands full enough with Aimee. He didn't need another problem to solve.

"It's Friday night…why don't you take her to your place for the night? You could talk to her and maybe she would enjoy hanging out with Abby and the girls." Gibbs' eyes widened at the thought. "It would be good for her to get some distance from me…and me from her. Please, Jethro."

"Geez, Jenn, do you even like me?"

Jenny chuckled, looking elated at her idea. "NO," she smirked. "Listen, it will give us both some time to cool off. I'll come pick her up after lunch tomorrow, okay?"

Gibbs sighed. "Avoiding her isn't going to help matters."

"I'm not avoiding her. C'mon Gibbs, you're better with kids than I am. Do some of that Gibbs magic or something." Jenny leaned closer to him, seductively breathing in his ear. Gibbs felt the small hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Her proximity made him weak in the knees, and Jenny nibbled on his ear for added effect.

"You're not playing fair now, Jenn," he groaned.

She pulled away and smiled. Gibbs hated that she could still elicit a physical response from him. His body could not resist her charms. Jenny gave him a sultry smile. She knew that she still had power over him, and it drove him mad.

"You owe me, Jenn." He managed to whisper, his voice deep and hoarse.

Jenny smiled once again, looking a little too pleased and then headed towards the front entrance, leaving Gibbs standing alone in the hallway. He had to take a few minutes to recover. He prided himself on being a man in control of himself but he was still human and heaven knew he got lonely sometimes. Jenny Shepard and he had a connection. Damn Jenny and her womanly wiles.

Gaining his wits, Gibbs continued his walk to the security office. Once he reached the outside of the door, he could hear voices speaking softly from inside. He knocked on the door and straightened his suit jacket while he waited.

"Agent Gibbs," said the security officer in surprise when he opened the door. "I was expecting Director Shepard."

"She suckered you into dealing with me, didn't she?" said a small voice from behind the officer.

Gibbs looked past the security guard to where the young teen girl sat. Her large green eyes were defiant and her long auburn hair fell haphazardly across her face. She didn't look apologetic in the least. Gibbs inwardly groaned at his luck. What did he ever do to deserve to be inundated with strong-willed women? Gibbs glanced at the badge on the security guard's uniform. He liked to address people by name when he could.

"Could we have some time alone, Cooper?"

The guard nodded. "Certainly, Agent Gibbs. Take all the time you need. I'm about to go on my rounds now anyway." The guard turned to wink at Makayla kindly. "Remember to have your security badge on you next time, kiddo." He walked towards his door and stopped once again to address Gibbs. "Just pull the door tight when you leave, Sir."

Gibbs nodded and the guard left the room. Gibbs slipped his hands into his pockets and walked towards Makayla.

"Seems like everyone knows who you are," commented Makayla, sliding down in her chair dejectedly.

"Comes from working here for longer than you've been alive," commented Gibbs, leaning against the table and crossing his arms.

"Where's Aunt Jenny?"

"She went home."

Makayla's eyes widened a little but Gibbs saw her recover quickly, not wanting him to notice her surprise.

"You're coming home with me tonight."

"I am?"

"Yup." Gibbs continued to stare intently at her.

Makayla chewed her lip. "Is that good or bad?"

Gibbs shrugged. "That depends on you. Why'd you take off?"

"I don't need a babysitter, Agent Gibbs."

"Okay, let's say that's true. Why are you skipping classes?"

Makayla looked away and fidgeted in her seat. "I didn't skip exactly…" She stopped mid-sentence and looked up at him. She dropped her hands to her sides. "Okay, I did, but there was a good reason this time. I promise."

Gibbs remained still, his face expressionless. "Why did you run off from the bullpen?"

Makayla stood to her feet, attempting to feel less intimidated by his presence. "She doesn't listen to me." Gibbs lifted a brow causing Makayla to hesitate. "I was going home."

"Are you allowed to stay home alone when your parents are away on business?"

An indignant harrumph could be heard in the room. "Hello. 14, not 4."

Gibbs bit back a smirk at her reaction but immediately wiped it away. He didn't want to make light of her running off. "You might be interested to know how I deal with little girls who run away."

"I'm not a little girl, Agent Gibbs." The ire was noticeable on her face.

Gibbs stood to his feet and wandered towards the coffee maker in the room. A pot of hot coffee sat beckoning to him. Gibbs reached for a mug and poured himself a steaming cup. The aroma was pleasing which surprised him. He usually couldn't find himself a decent cup of coffee within a 25-mile radius of NCIS. He held the mug to his nose, inhaling the liquid energy and taking several gulps. It wasn't bad and he had to say he was impressed. Cooper was someone he needed to get to know better.

"Someone once told me that if you don't like being told what to do, then do what's right. Wise advice, don't you think? You had better not make a habit of running off or you might find yourself upended over my knee."

Mikayla gasped out loud. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed, obvious astonishment on her face.

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

The young teen girl gaped at him incredulously. Makayla was fairly certain that Gibbs did not joke about anything, and she certainly didn't want to find out if he did anytime soon.

"What was your good reason?" he demanded.

"Huh?" she asked, still reeling in disbelief over his words.

"Why you skipped…what was your reason."

Makayla took a few steps away from Gibbs, looking more nervous and less sure of things than before he'd entered the room. Gibbs took note of it. Makayla wasn't used to being in trouble, and he appreciated that. His gut told him she was a good kid.

"Jessa Collins is a new contemporary artist in DC, so I took the bus downtown to the gallery to see her opening exhibit. It meant a lot to me to see it, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded his understanding. "And you told Jenny about it and she said no?"

"Not exactly."

Gibbs was quiet, staring at her intently as she spoke to him.

"I didn't ask her because I knew she'd say no. She'd never let me take time off on a school day."

"You don't know that," said Gibbs.

Makayla turned away from him in exasperation. "Yes, I do! She's exactly like my mother. All they care about is good grades in S.T.E.M. I'm not going to be an engineer, Mr. Gibbs. I'm not!" Makayla stomped her foot for emphasis and then turned to face him again. Her face reddened and she looked worried. "You wouldn't really…uh…do what you said, would you?"

Gibbs furrowed his brow. She'd lost him. "Do what?"

Makayla chewed on a hangnail nervously. "Uh, that whole upending thing…" Her face reddened further.

Gibbs chuckled having already forgotten his idol threat. "Don't make a habit of taking off without telling someone where you're going and it shouldn't be a problem." He had no intention of physically disciplining Jenny's niece. He didn't even relish doing it with his own girls, let alone Jenn's niece. Makayla was not his responsibility. He had his hands full enough with Aimee and Janessa. He certainly wasn't looking for any more additions to his already full plate.

Relief flooded the young girl's face, and she managed a small smile.

"C'mon, let's go. My dad is making dinner tonight, and I don't want to be late."

Makayla picked up her backpack and followed him towards the door. "You still live with your dad? Aren't you kinda old for that?"

Gibbs laughed. "More like he lives with me, Wiseguy. He seems to think I can't take care of myself."

Makayla nodded. "Boy, do I know the feeling, Agent Gibbs. Parents can be a real pain in the neck."

Gibbs shook his head with a laugh. He didn't dare reply to her for fear of incrimination. Makayla was becoming too much of a kindred spirit and it felt odd to be identifying with a 14-year-old girl.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Gibbs returned to the bullpen to see Ducky packing up his medical kit and a rather forlorn Tony resting with his head on his desk. Makayla excused herself to visit the restroom with babysitter Abby in tow upon the insistence of Gibbs. He wasn't taking any more chances that anyone was going to go missing. He just wanted to go home, pour himself a strong mug of Bourbon and get lost in the wood dust as he sanded his way into a peaceful stupor. Not that it would ever happen anymore, not since he'd become a responsible family man. But a guy could dream, couldn't he?

Gibbs laid a hand on the back of Tony's head. "How's the noggin, DiNozzo?"

"Fine, Boss," mumbled Tony, not putting his head up.

Gibbs looked at Ducky with a frown. "He okay, Duck?"

"It appears he has all the classic signs of a stress-induced migraine, Jethro, and I also deduce that he hasn't had any dihydrogen monoxide. That, compounded with far too much caffeine that he insists on ingesting ad nauseam, has wreaked havoc on his body."

"It's just a headache, Ducky, nothing I haven't had before," mumbled Tony, shakily standing to his feet. Tony had had enough of the coddling. It was time to make his way home.

Gibbs walked towards the water cooler and filled a cup with water. "You sure that's all there is to it, Duck?" Gibbs made his way back to the bullpen and placed a firm hand on Tony's shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. He set the cup in front of the younger man. "Drink all of it, DiNozzo."

"I'm sure, Jethro. Although I'm sure that young Anthony here could benefit from a few mental health days as well. He looks like he is suffering from fatigue as well."

Tony stood to his feet again. "Hello, I'm right here. Stop talking about me like I'm not in the room." His voice held an edge to it.

Janessa looked up from her colouring page. She had been sitting at Ziva's desk watching and listening to the adults in the room with half an ear. She slid down from the swivel chair and wandered over to Tony, leaning into his leg comfortingly.

"Grown-ups do that all the time, Tony," she sympathised. The expression on her face was so sincere that Tony couldn't help but smile at her.

Gibbs hit Tony with a sharp look, wondering if handing the younger man the lead in the case was a mistake. Gibbs knew that the Admiral was a tough man to deal with under normal circumstances, but with his son's murder being the crutch of the case, Gibbs could only surmise that things were arduous.

"Okay, DiNozzo, you get a three-day leave…" began Gibbs.

Tony's face reddened. "What? No! Gibbs, I…"

Gibbs stepped forward into Tony's personal space, scooping up Janessa onto his hip. His face was unyielding. He was not going to take no for an answer.

"And, I want you to spend the night at my place tonight. My dad is driving me insane, and I could use another man in the house to prevent him and all the females from driving me insane. I'm feeling outnumbered."

Tony heaved a weary sigh as he rubbed the back of his aching head. "Is that an order, Boss?" he all but moaned, feeling defeated.

"The leave is an order. Staying at my house is a request." Gibbs shifted Janessa to his other hip. She yawned sleepily. It was getting late and Gibbs figured she was getting hungry as well.

Tony closed his eyes and dropped his chin. He was tired, and he really just wanted to crash at home but he relented. Arguing with Gibbs was futile, and maybe a home cooked meal was just what the doctor ordered. Jackson Gibbs was an amazing cook. Tony's eyes met Gibbs' and he nodded slowly.

"Fine, I'll go. I just need to pick up a few things at home first."

Ducky smiled approvingly and bid everyone goodnight, heading to the elevator without circumstance.

"Ness, go get Abby and Makayla from the head." He set the girl down to her feet, and she happily skipped off towards the washrooms leaving Gibbs and Tony alone in the bullpen.

Tony slung his backpack onto one shoulder and fished his keys out of his desk. "I'll meet you at your place in a couple of hours."

Gibbs stepped into his path. "Forget it, DiNozzo." Gibbs held out his hands, nodding towards Tony's keys. "Driving impaired is a felony."

Tony looked at him incredulously. "I'm not impaired, Gibbs. I have a migraine."

Gibbs held out his hand, hitting him with a piercing glare.

"You're a pain in the ass," groaned Tony, handing his keys to his boss.

Gibbs smirked. "Yah, I know. Too bad you can't do anything about it."

Tony's ire cooled slightly and he chuckled.

The two men stood silently staring at each other. After a few minutes, Tony began to fidget under the scrutiny of his boss.

"Can you stop staring at me like that." His voice was almost a whine.

"Spill it, DiNozzo," Gibbs said softly, knowing the younger man was holding back.

"Spill what?"

"What's eating at you?"

"Nothing is eating at me…" Gibbs hit him with an almost paternal glare making Tony stop mid-sentence. What was it about the older man that made Tony feel like blabbing his problems?

Tony sighed, biting the inside of his cheek, suddenly feeling vulnerable enough to let Gibbs in. "Senior is in town," he almost whispered.

Gibbs put a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder. The men exchanged a look. Gibbs and Tony had a silent understanding when it came to Tony's father. Gibbs understood that Tony had a hard time dealing with the man on his own. Gibbs had no problem standing in the gap. Tony knew it and appreciated it. He might have acted gruff and annoyed, but deep down he appreciated the support and love that Gibbs offered.

"Let's go, kid. We'll swing by your place on the way home."

Tony nodded. "Thanks, Boss."

Gibbs smiled. "Don't thank me yet. You still have to deal with my dad. Knowing Ducky, he's already called Jack about you."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Great; as if one Gibbs wasn't enough."

Gibbs gently rapped Tony on the back of the head without apology and headed towards the elevator. He didn't stop to look back as Abby, Mikayla and Janessa came and joined him.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Gibbs tossed the tea towel aside and felt his father's gaze boring a hole in the back of his head. Abby had taken Janessa, Aimee and Mikayla to her room for a spa evening. Gibbs didn't even want to know what that meant. But he was glad to see that all three girls seemed ecstatic to join her. Tony had excused himself to lie down and escape in a few Magnum P.I. episodes on Netflix, something that Gibbs had currently subscribed to much to Tony's delight.

"Dad, if you have something to say, just say it. You're drilling a hole in my head deep enough to forge a canyon."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Leroy," his father said, turning to rinse another mug under the tap just a little longer than necessary.

Gibbs groaned. His father was notorious for beating around the bush these days, something Gibbs wasn't accustomed too from his youth. He found it disconcerting and extremely irritating.

"Jack, you've never been one to mince words so why start now."

Jackson stopped and turned off the faucet. "Unlike you?" he accused.

Gibbs shook his head and took a seat at the kitchen table, waiting for the coming lecture he knew was on the horizon. Jackson hobbled over to the far counter and poured himself a cup a tea.

"Would you like some tea, Jethro?"

Gibbs chuckled. His father was anything but discreet. His dad hardly ever called him Jethro. "Sure, dad, I'd love a cup of tea rather than a tall glass of bourbon. That'd be great."

Jackson scowled at him before pouring the tea. Jackson settled himself for a few moments, added cream and honey to his tea and sat stirring it and staring at Gibbs. Gibbs drank his tea black and returned the intense stare waiting for Jackson to say something. There was no point in hurrying his father along. Jackson Gibbs worked on his own schedule.

"Tell me, son, how long do you plan to allow Aimee to rule the roost?"

Gibbs blinked. "Come again?"

"You heard me. I've spent the better part of a week here watching you and those girls and all I've seen is Aimee controlling you like a puppet on a string."

"Dad," growled Gibbs, standing to his feet incredulously.

"Sit down, Leroy." It wasn't a suggestion. Gibbs sat down. "I've always prided myself on being a good judge of character. Aimee is a wonderful child."

"I agree."

"Then why are you ruining her?"

"What the hell, Jack?"

Jackson scowled. "Watch your mouth, Leroy." Gibbs clenched his jaw. "Oh, I understand that she and her sister have gone through some stuff in the past…"

"A hell of lot more than you realise, dad. How can you say anything when you don't even know the whole story?"

"If I waited for you to tell me anything, I'd already been dead and buried."

Gibbs balled up his fists knowing he was in over his head.

"Abby has been kind enough to fill me quite nicely. She is such a sweet girl that Abby and Tim had been quite obliging as well. If I can't get you to tell me what I need to know, I have other sources, Leroy.

"Apparently," quipped Gibbs, sarcastically. He wasn't mad at his team. He knew his father could be convincing, and sharing information about the girls with his father wasn't a breach of trust in any way. It was probably a good thing.

"Consistency and routine are what those girls need."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Thanks, dad, for that wonderful advice. May I be excused now?" Gibbs didn't bother to stand because he knew his father was even close to being done with him.

"Move from the table and I'll take a stick to you."

Gibbs smirked. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if you still could."

Jackson raised a brow. "OH, you know I could," he assured him. Gibbs licked his lips and shook his head, finding the whole conversation amusing. "The trouble with Aimee is she has no respect for you. She does what she pleases around you, son, and you seem oblivious to it."

"Dad, I'm doing my best here."

"No, Leroy, you're not!" Jackson smacked his fist on the table.

Gibbs rubbed his temples waiting for the punch line. It was coming, but his dad was always good at beating the crap out of the bush first.

"Ok, enlighten me, Jack. Tell me what I'm doing wrong."

Jackson glared at him. "It has nothing to do with doing things right or wrong, son. Don't you get it?"

"I guess I don't," muttered Gibbs, baffled.

"From what I can tell, that child has been raising herself and her sister since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. She doesn't feel like she needs anyone. Authority figures in her life have only hurt her…"

Gibbs couldn't disagree. Aimee was an independent soul and she was very much used to calling the shots but he had seen improvement. Just then the phone rang, interrupting Gibbs' train of thought. He rose to his feet and went to retrieve the cordless phone sitting on the far counter by the fridge.

"Gibbs," he said when he answered the fourth ring. He exchanged a look with his father as he waited for the person on the line to say something. Instead, he was greeted with a click. Gibbs frowned as he hung up the phone.

"Let me guess. Just a click?"

"Yah, but I could hear someone breathing on the line, so I know someone was there."

"Fourth call like that today. Aimee answered a few others herself, and she said the same thing. Only I know she was lying to me."

Gibbs furrowed his brows. "Why do you say that?"

"I may be old, Jethro, but I'm not deaf. I heard her talking to someone."

This news sent a wave of concern through Gibbs. He knocked his knuckles on the counter as his mind began to wander in several different directions at once. Could this unknown caller be the same person who upset Aimee the other night?

"Stop fretting like an old woman, Jethro," scolded Jackson, gruffly, pulling Gibbs out of his thoughts. "Can't you get Tim to bug your phone or something?"

Gibbs groaned inwardly wishing he'd thought of it himself. Whenever his father was around, it seemed like his own pride took a bruising. Gibbs ignored his father's comment and headed towards the family room.

"Where are you going, Son? I'm not finished speaking with you!" complained Jackson as he immediately was on his feet and following after Gibbs.

The phone rang again and Gibbs regretted leaving the cordless sitting on the counter. He rushed to grab the corded phone sitting on the side table but as he reached out to pick it up, the receiver stopped ringing. Gibbs clenched his jaw in annoyance.

"Leroy," began his father, coming up behind him.

Gibbs lifted a hand to silence the man. "Not now, dad." Gibbs spun on his head and approached the foot of the stairs. "Aimee! Please come downstairs!" he called up the stairway.

Jackson came up behind Gibbs glaring at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to ask her who she talked to today. Why the hell didn't you tell me this before, dad? You knew the last call upset her! Why would you withhold that information from me?"

"I didn't withhold it. I told ya, didn't I? Besides, I wanted to speak to you about something entirely different."

Gibbs shook his head, swallowing back a snide remark that was forming in his throat.

"Aimee!" He called up the stairs once more.

"For goodness sakes, Jethro, don't shout up the stairs like that! Didn't I teach you anything about decency when you were a boy?"

Gibbs felt his temper brewing and his patience waning. Choosing to ignore his father's annoying remarks was the best he could do in the moment.

"Aimee Percy! NOW!" he called again. This time he heard a door open and some padded feet in the hall. The face that appeared at the top of the steps was not who he expected at all.

"She's not here, Agent Gibbs," said Makayla. "She rushed out to answer the phone and now we can't find her."

Gibbs frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused. There wasn't any way that Aimee could have disappeared from upstairs.


	10. Chapter 10

Aimee shivered in the cold October wind as she huddled closer to the old stone chimney atop Gibbs' house. That last phone call had shaken her up even more than the first one. She knew who Davy was now. David Brody. Her father. She used to have dreams that her biological father wanted her for his own little girl. Now she knew that he did want her, but not to be her father. He wanted her for the chip in her head. Gibbs had told her that she was safe and that David Brody couldn't hurt her. He said that she wasn't in any danger anymore, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Part of Aimee wanted to blame Gibbs but another part of her knew he couldn't have known that David Brody was still working to get his hands on the information on the chip. The man was in jail. How could he possibly be a threat to her? Aimee didn't know much about life, but to her credit, she'd been alive long enough to figure out that life wasn't fair and it didn't have to make sense or follow any rules. David Brody was a powerful man. Even Gibbs had said that. He was powerful enough that he could do what he wanted, even from prison, and this time he had threatened to hurt Janessa. Davy expected her to take every one of his calls and do exactly what he said. He wasn't in the mood to play games with her. He'd made himself perfectly clear this time.

Aimee reached up and wiped the hot tears from her frozen cheeks. She'd wanted to destroy every phone in the house the first time he'd called. It hadn't been hard to figure out who Davy was. She'd just been too shocked to believe it was possible. Then she thought she could escape him by hanging up and destroying the phones. Only that didn't work. There was always going to be another phone. He warned her that she must take his calls. She had to make people believe that Davy was her friend. She had to do what he said or he'd hurt Janessa or Gibbs or anyone else she dared to love. Aimee closed her eyes, allowing the tears to cascade down her cheeks. She choked back the lump in her throat, feeling like she might vomit. She wasn't going to love people anymore. Everyone she loved died. Her mother. Baby Sarah. Andrew. It wasn't hard to figure out that loving people was dangerous. Maybe she should just leave and go away. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving Janessa behind but perhaps that was the kindest thing she could do. If she just went with Brody then everyone would be safe.

"Aimee Percy!" called a voice from below her.

Aimee felt herself jump at the sound of what seemed like an angry, frustrated voice. She didn't dare move though for fear she'd lose her balance and fall. She'd only wanted some time alone with her thoughts. She didn't want to be caught out on the roof. She felt certain that Gibbs wouldn't be overly impressed with her choice.

Aimee shifted her foot a little and felt herself slip, losing her footing. She pulled her foot up but her shoe caught on one of the loose shingles causing her to slide further away from the chimney. The bitter wind picked up and sent shivers up her spine.

"Aimee, where are you?" echoed the stern voice once again, this time from the backyard in the other direction. "Check the treehouse, Abbs." Gibbs' voice didn't sound happy. Aimee could hear other voices. Tony's deep voice was froth with concern. Abby's higher pitched voice sounded almost panicked. Papa Jack's voice was deep and gravelly; she could just barely make out the figures walking in the dimly lit backyard.

"No sign of her, Boss." Tony's voice sounded tired. Aimee's heart ached a little knowing that Tony should have been resting and not searching outside in the cold evening air.

Aimee attempted to reposition herself again but she couldn't seem to free her shoe from beneath the shingle.

"Great," she mumbled, sniffling loudly. She leaned forward and yanked at her foot only to find herself sliding even further down the side of the roof, well away from the chimney. Aimee shivered again in the brisk night air and looked around the roof, trying to see where she could crawl safely but felt afraid to move.

"She's not in the treehouse, Gibbs." Abby's voice this time, echoing in the silence of the evening carried by the ice-cold wind.

"Leroy, this is ridiculous. It's obvious she isn't out here, and if she is then she's hiding." Gibbs' dad sounded irritated as well. His voice sounded sombre and curt, only the bitterness seemed directed more towards Gibbs than her.

"Aimee!" shouted Gibbs once again. "Answer me this instant."

Aimee put her hand over her mouth as more tears filled her eyes. She didn't like how angry Gibbs sounded. It filled her with trepidation and made her stomach ache. She reached down and untied her shoe, carefully pulling her foot out. She turned and started to crawl back towards the chimney. She dragged her feet behind her dislodging another shingle and as she crawled, the shingle went sliding off the roof and hit something below her with an ominous _thunk_ sound. She lost her footing again and smacked her face on the roof. She sucked in her breath as she felt her face sting sharply from the gritty surface.

"Aimee, crawl towards me," came a soft voice from above her.

Aimee looked towards the voice and noticed a bright light shining through the window directly above her. She quickly swiped tears from her eyes with her icy fingers and made her way carefully upwards towards the open window. Several more shingles dislodged under her feet as she crawled slowly upwards on the sharp peak. As she reached the sharpest pitch of the roof, she could see Makayla reaching far out the window towards her.

"Grab my hand, Aimee!"

Aimee forced herself upwards on her knees, wincing as she crawled further forward. Her knees were stinging as she dragged them against the rough shingles, afraid to lift them up too high and lose her balance. Her right knee skidded backwards and she slipped once again, smacking her face another time much harder against the coarse surface. She couldn't help crying out in pain. She should have answered Gibbs the first time he'd called, rather than trying to hide from him.

"Keep crawling, Aimee. It's okay, I've got you now. Keep going!"

Aimee startled when she realized that Makayla had crawled out the window after her, grasping her wrists firmly to keep her from slipping further.

"NO!" she whimpered. "You're gonna fall too."

"Just crawl, Aimee!" said Makayla, her voice scarcely heard over the wind. "Don't worry about me."

The wind blew harder, whipping Aimee's hair against her battered cheek. She winced as her face throbbed in time with her fast beating heart. She forced herself back up on her knees and did her best to crawl further towards the open window. She closed her eyes as she felt Makayla pull her forward further. She couldn't help but whimper as her knees and legs were dragged along the final section of the roof.

"Hold on to me," Makayla ordered as she wrapped one arm tighter around Aimee and pulled her inside the window. Once inside the warmth of the room, both of the girls sat breathing hard as they leaned against the wall in Gibbs' bedroom. It took several minutes before either girl could catch her breath enough to speak.

"Are you ok?" asked Makayla softly as she rose to her feet to fasten the window above their heads.

Aimee nodded. "Yes." She put her hands up to her mouth and blew on them. She was trembling and shivering, feeling like the wind had blown right through her.

Makayla looked around the room and briskly rubbed her hands up and down her arms, equally as cold as Aimee. She saw a blue checked duvet folded at the end of the bed and grabbed it, sliding back down the wall and covering Aimee and herself.

Aimee shivered again but managed to smile at Makayla. "Thanks. I didn't know it was so cold out tonight."

"Yah, I know. Next thing you know it will be Thanksgiving. The air has that crisp feel and it smells so fresh." Mikayla leaned against Aimee and pulled the heavy quilt tighter around her.

"Thanks."

Mikayla smiled. "Why did you climb out on the roof? Agent Gibbs and everyone is looking for you." Mikayla's eyes suddenly bolted to the doorway. "Oh, crap, we should let everyone know where you are…"

"No!" said Aimee, grasping Makayla by the arm to keep her from getting up. "Wait, don't tell Gibbs yet."

Makayla relaxed and turned to look at Aimee closer in the dim light of the room. "Oh, Aimee, your face is cut up. You must have hit your cheek on the roof when you fell."

Aimee blinked back tears. Her face stung a lot as did her knees and ankles. She felt sure that she was all scraped up but she still didn't want to move from where she sat. The cuts and bruises would heal over time but her predicament wasn't going anywhere. David Brody was still looming big and large in her mind.

"Why did your Aunt pawn you off on Gibbs, anyway?" asked Aimee, deciding to deflect the subject from her back to Makayla. Aimee was much wiser than Makayla knew when it came to figuring out things.

Makayla sighed. "Aimee, I will gladly tell you all about my Aunt Jenny another time, but for now I think it's more important we talk about you. Agent Gibbs is very worried about you and so is Abby and everyone else." Makayla rose to her feet but Aimee jumped up and pulled on her arm with all her might.

"Please, Makayla, don't tell him I was out on the roof! Please!"

Makayla pulled away gently. "One look at you and I'm sure he'll figure out." Aimee's eyes continued to plead with the older girl and soon Makayla relented. "Okay fine, I won't say anything, but I'm not going to lie if he directly asks me. Between you and me, he kinda intimidates me and I don't think I want to risk getting on his bad side."

Aimee rolled her eyes. "Don't let him bother you. His bark is worse than his bite."

"It's not his bite I'm worried about…" Makayla hesitated when she saw Aimee shiver again. "Anyway, maybe you should take a hot bath or something, and clean yourself up. I can maybe get Abby to help you unless you don't mind me." She reached out and brushed Aimee's hair out of her eyes and grimaced as some of the blonde locks stuck to the dried up blood on her face. Aimee winced and pulled away. "Sorry. Gee, your face is really scraped up badly, Aimee. C'mon, I'll help you."

Aimee blinked back some more tears and followed Makayla into Gibbs ensuite bathroom. Makayla switched on the light and both of them blinked as their eyes adjusted to the bright lights. Aimee looked in the mirror and gasped out loud. Her right cheek was scraped and bloody as was her nose and chin. She hadn't realized she'd smacked her face so hard on the jagged shingles.

"You should probably get those pants off too. By the looks of it, you skinned your knees pretty good as well."

Aimee looked at her face to her knees, noticing that she had ripped the knees out of her blue jeans. Both her knees were a bleeding through her pants and she had torn her pants in several places.

"I had no idea how hard it is to walk on a roof."

Makayla smirked as she took a warm cloth and wet it with some warm water. "I'm pretty sure roofs are not meant for walking on, Aimee. Whatever possessed you to climb out on the roof?"

"I was wondering the same thing," said a stern voice from behind them.

Both girls turned to see a very exasperated looking Gibbs standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at both girls, sizing up the situation. His eyes scanned them both up and down, stopping momentarily on Aimee's injuries. His expression softened a little but remained stern and unrelenting.

Aimee gulped nervously. "Gibbs!"

Makayla offered a tentative smile. "Hi, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs walked into the bathroom and gently tipped Aimee's head up to get a closer look at her cheek. He took the washcloth that Makayla offered him and dabbed at her face gingerly. Makayla chewed her lip silently as she watched Gibbs clean Aimee's injured cheek. Gibbs blocked the entrance so there was no way for her to escape so she fidgeted her with her hands instead.

"I can explain…" began Aimee, blinking back tears.

"Aims, right now all I want to know right now is who was on the phone."

Aimee stiffened at his words. There was no way Gibbs could find out about Brody. There was no way Aimee would let on anything about him.

"My friend, Ruthie, called…"

Gibbs stopped cleaning her face and tipped her chin up towards him once again, narrowing a suspicious eye at her.

"Ruthie?"

"Yah. She wanted to know if I can visit her at Thanksgiving," improvised Aimee, straining to swallow as he held her chin up high forcing her to look him straight in the eye. Aimee was thankful she was quick on her feet, remembering the name of the one friend she had made at the last base her family had been stationed at. Ruthie Connor had been homeschooled as well and often had played outside during the day when the other kids on base were at school. Even though Aimee's family had only been on base for a couple of months, Ruthie and Aimee had become fast friends. Aimee wished that it was the truth she was telling and that Ruthie did indeed know how to reach her. She would have liked to get to know Ruthie better and have a more lasting friendship.

Gibbs dropped his hands to his side looking suspiciously at her. He wasn't buying any of it and Aimee knew it. She dropped her chin to her chest, suddenly finding the specks of lint on the floor extremely interesting. She was a horrible liar.

"Mak, would you mind letting the rest of the team know I found Aimee?"

Makayla nodded and went to slip past Gibbs but he caught her by the arm gently, cupping her chin in his hand.

"Are you hurt?"

Makayla shook her head. "No, I only scraped my knee a little. It's no big deal."

Gibbs nodded his head. "I would like to speak with you later so don't go to bed or disappear until I do, okay?"

Makayla's face went pale as her heart skipped a beat in her chest. "I…um…did I do something wrong, Agent Gibbs?" She couldn't stop herself from asking the question much to her chagrin. Her mouth went dry and her hands trembled as she made eye contact with him. Makayla definitely did not like to be in any kind of trouble.

Gibbs cast a look of confusion her way. "I promised your Aunt Jenny that we'd talk some more about today."

Makayla breathed out a sigh of relief.

Gibbs offered her a smile and patted her shoulder lightly. Makayla returned the smile and offered a similar smile of sympathy to Aimee who was still counting lint balls on the linoleum tiles of the bathroom floor.

"I'll be around later, Aimee, if you want to talk, okay?"

Aimee looked up at her with tears glistening in her eyes and gave a subtle nod. Makayla gave her one last look of compassion before disappearing from the room.

Gibbs took a few steps towards the bathtub and sat down on the edge. He rubbed his hands on his jeans and rubbed the back of his head, fixing a look at Aimee that told her she'd better start telling the truth.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs watched as Aimee squirmed and shuffled her feet around. He knew she was telling him a tale. Aimee had never mentioned any friends that she'd had from her past, and certainly no one named Ruthie. From what he knew of her past, her family had never stayed at one base long enough for the girls to make many friends. All the research that he'd done had led him to believe that the girls were pretty much isolated. Being that they had been homeschooled, they had never been registered in any school on base or any activities in surrounding areas. In fact, his investigations turned up virtually nothing about the girls' existence on any base other than a few scattered medical records. Those records were sparse at best and alluded to abuse. It wasn't hard to see how easy it was for the girls to fall through the cracks.

"Sit down, Aims," he said, pointing to the toilet seat across from him. Aimee obliged and Gibbs glanced at her knees. "Can you roll up your pants for me?"

Aimee nodded and leaned down to pull them up. She grimaced as the cuffs came up to her knees.

"It hurts," she gasped and sat up again.

Gibbs tossed her a towel that was hanging on the hook. "I'll step out. You take off your jeans and cover yourself with the towel. I want to get a good look at your knees and get them bandaged up if need be."

Aimee nodded quietly and Gibbs left the bathroom. He flipped the light on in the room and latched the window to his bedroom. He glanced out at the roof and shuddered. Aimee was a lucky little girl. The pitch on his roof was steep. Very steep. How she'd managed to get from her room to his, across the perilous ridge, was beyond his imagination. His heart had nearly leapt out of his chest when he saw her climbing around on the rooftop, to begin with. A section of one of the shingles had slid down and smacked him on the head. His heart was still racing thinking about how easy it could have been for her to slip right off the roof. He wasn't sure how Makayla knew to look on the roof or if she had just heard or seen Aimee out there. He was grateful to the teenager for having the bravery to rescue Aimee. He was a little miffed that she'd put herself in danger though. He had to remind himself that she was a little girl as well and not trained to know what to do in every circumstance. He didn't like it one bit that she had taken the risk and climbed out on his roof as well. The pitch of the roof on his side of the house was a potentially deadly.

"Are you decent?" Gibbs asked as he walked towards the door and knocked on it.

"Are you mad, Gibbs?"

"What do you think?" he asked her, trying the handle of the door and finding it locked. It wasn't a surprise. He figured she'd lock him out if she could. "I'm coming in so cover yourself up if you don't want me to see your underclothing."

"I'm not unlocking the door," she said boldly.

Gibbs looked at the small hole in the doorknob and smirked. He'd installed safety knobs on all his doors when he'd renovated a few years back. He'd felt silly putting the locks on his doors, but it seemed like the modern way and he'd gotten a pretty good deal on them.

"Aims, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not happy about you climbing out on my roof and yes, there are going to be consequences. Locking me out isn't going to make things better. Please open the door and let me in."

"No!"

Gibbs sighed and pulled open the top drawer to his dresser beside the bathroom. Inside was a long piece of a wire hanger he had snipped to do just the job. He poked it in the hole and popped the lock with ease, opening the door and staring at the bewildered girl inside.

"How'd you do that?" she asked, her mouth still gaping.

Gibbs showed her the hole on the outside of the handle. "Safety locks for just a time like this."

She rolled her eyes and sat down on the toilet seat once more, not bothering to cover herself. Gibbs took note. Aimee hadn't reached that self-conscious stage yet and didn't seem to care that he could see her floral underwear. He supposed nine-year-olds all developed at different stages. Aimee seemed mature on one hand but on the other, she was still very much a little girl. Gibbs sat down across from her on the edge of the tub once more glancing at her knees. They were scraped up pretty good but not too bad. He grabbed some disinfectant out of his first aid kit and set to work cleaning and patching up her knees and cheek.

"Who was on the phone?"

"I told you…"

"No, you made up a story, now I want the truth."

"It is the truth," insisted Aimee.

Gibbs closed the kit and set it on the floor. "I'm going to find out sooner or later, Aims, and I prefer you tell me yourself."

"Ruthie calls me all the time…"

Gibbs sighed. "Who is davy?"

"Her brother."

"Why does he call you?"

"We're friends."

Gibbs hit her with a penetrating look but she didn't back down. She kept steady eye contact but Gibbs could see her hands trembling. He decided to change tactics.

"Why did you climb out on the roof?"

Aimee chewed her lip. "I wanted to be alone."

Gibbs shook his head, feeling exasperated. "One of the shingles from the roof came down and hit me on the head while I was outside searching for you. Did you hear me calling you?"

Aimee looked up at him and slowly nodded.

"Why didn't you answer?"

She shrugged.

"A shrug isn't an answer, Aimee."

"I…I didn't want you to know I was on the roof," she admitted.

"Why?"

She shrugged and dropped her eyes to the floor once again. Gibbs saw the lint on the floor thinking it was time he cleaned the bathroom. He couldn't remember the last time he'd taken a broom and mop to the floor.

"Did you think you'd be in trouble with me?"

Aimee licked her lips and nodded again, not looking up. Gibbs reached out and cupped her chin with his weathered hand.

"I think you knew exactly how dangerous it was to climb out on the roof, didn't you?" Aimee attempted to pull her face away but Gibbs held tight. "I also think you were avoiding me because you knew I was going to ask about that phone call. Am I right?"

Aimee's lip came up in a pout.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at her sternly. "And…I also think this Ruthie person is a made up story…"

This time Aimee stood to her feet and shoved him away from her. "Shut up! Ruthie is my friend and you don't know nothing!"

Gibbs remained sitting as he was right at eye level with Aimee. "I can't prove or disprove your story but I can have McGee tap my phone line. And the next time Ruthie or Davy calls, I want to speak with one of their parents. Do you hear me? No more secret phone calls."

Aimee glared at him. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and her face was red. Gibbs glanced at his watch noting the time. It was getting late and he still wanted to have time to speak with Makayla. He felt tired. He wasn't used to parenting and he was feeling his fifty years and then some.

"Do you want to tell me anything else?"

Aimee continued to glower at him.

Gibbs rose to his feet. "I'll take that as a no. Well, I believe you knew going out on the roof was dangerous, and you admitted that you heard me call you but you choose to ignore me. In my books, deliberately doing something dangerous deserves a spanking. Same as running away…"

Aimee's eyes widened and she took a few steps back, her back towards the door. Gibbs had shut the door once again when he'd come in so Aimee was very much trapped.

"No!" she shouted at him. Gibbs' heart softened when he saw the look of panic cross her face. It was obvious she remembered the last time they'd travelled this road and she wasn't a fan. He could hardly blame her. He didn't like this part of parenting at all and a big part of him wasn't sure if he should use corporal punishment on Aimee at all. Something deep within him nagged at him to not go that route very often. He just didn't know enough about Aimee's background. Running away had become a very dangerous pattern and it needed to be stopped immediately. Even then he hadn't chosen to spank right away, not until it had become habitual and on-going.

"Are you going to climb out on the roof again?" he asked, knowing the answer. Aimee wasn't a stupid kid; in fact, pretty much any kid in her shoes wouldn't be stupid enough to admit they were willing to do something again even if they were.

She shook her head.

"You could have fallen and killed yourself!" he snapped, allowing his worry and anger to escape.

Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Gibbs saw her wince as the salty tears touched her scraped cheek.

"As it is, you probably damaged the roof. Roofs are not meant to be walked on. The shingles are there to protect the roof from weather damage. You knocked off quite a few."

Aimee sniffled and then sneezed suddenly.

Gibbs walked towards her, knowing she was pinned against the door. He placed his large hand on her forehead. It was very cold outside and he wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting outside huddling from the wind in only her sweatshirt and light indoor shoes. Her skin felt warm to his touch but he figured most of it was from being under scrutiny and thinking she was about to be punished. He tipped her chin up so he could see her shimmering blue eyes.

"It's almost 9 pm. I want you to take a warm bath and get ready for bed. For the rest of the weekend, you are to stay right beside me like my personal shadow. Do not make me look for you. I should be able to see you at all times. Do you understand me?" He released her chin.

She swallowed slowly as she digested his words and blinked back a few tears. "Like Peter Pan's shadow?"

Gibbs frowned. He hadn't seen the movie and she probably was banking on that, but Gibbs had read the book and he distinctly remembered that Peter Pan's shadow was not attached and could travel places without him. Pan's shadow was the trouble making part of Peter. He tapped the top of her head sternly.

"Definitely NOT like Peter Pan's."

Aimee visibly trembled having been caught in her attempt to trick him. Gibbs reached above her head and opened the bathroom door, shoving it open firmly.

"Bath and bed, Aimee. And if Ruthie calls, I want to speak to one of her parents. Got it?"

Aimee nodded and went to scoot past him out of the bathroom at breakneck speed, but not before he was able to land a firm swat to her scantily clothed hindquarters. Aimee froze and spun on her heel to look at him with fresh tears forming in her eyes. Gibbs looked at her sternly.

"Do not EVER climb out on the roof again." He wagged his finger at her.

"I'm sorry," she muttered softly, rubbing the sting from her bottom.

Gibbs opened his arms hoping Aimee would come to him but she stepped away instead. Gibbs' heart ached a little at her standoffishness, but what was he to expect. He'd swatted her pretty hard. He was fooling himself if he expected her to thank him for that. Aimee remained transfixed to her spot blinking back tears. Gibbs walked towards her and drew her into his arms anyway despite her stiffening at his touch.

"I was worried, Aims. If you'd fallen, you could have been seriously injured or maybe even killed. You may not think so, but I love and care about you. I don't want to see you hurt."

He hoped she would melt into his embrace but she remained stiff and aloof. He reluctantly let her go and she rushed from the room without looking back. Gibbs dropped his hands to his sides and sighed. What was it going to take for Aimee to let him into her heart and really trust him?


	11. Chapter 11

_**Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**_

 _ **I'm still working on the story, I promise! Hope you all enjoy.**_

 _ **Let me know you're still interested in reading along...I fear I may have lost all my readers.**_

 _ **Oh well, I'm committed to finishing the story regardless because I love the characters so much.**_

 _ **Read on faithful readers...**_

The house creaked and moaned as it settled into the later evening. Gibbs adjusted his glasses as he wiggled himself deeper into his old, ragged sofa and reached for his tea. He took a tentative sip, checking the temperature of the hot beverage and was pleased to see it had cooled enough to drink. The house was finally quiet and Gibbs embraced the quiet time, hoping to be able to read a few chapters of his book before turning in for the evening. He heard his father clear his voice as he hobbled into the room, and stare at him with disdain. Gibbs felt his father's eyes boring into him, and he heaved a loud sigh. It looked like he wouldn't be finishing this chapter anytime soon. The main character would forever remain in a state of limbo.

"Just spit it out, Jack."

Jackson rested his weight on his cane and continued to glare at his son. Gibbs let his novel drop to his chest and forced himself to sit up with an irritated groan. If he didn't deal with his father now, he would never get any peace.

"What is it, dad? I know you have something to say so just get on with it."

"What do you think you're doing with these girls, Leroy?"

Gibbs closed his eyes for several seconds, feeling berated. He didn't know what his father was beating around the bush about and he was sick of trying to read between the lines.

"Dad, what kind of question is that anyway?"

Jackson walked closer and sat on the edge of the large, tan-coloured easy chair across from Gibbs.

"Made any time to talk with Tony lately?"

Gibbs frowned. He hadn't had much time to talk with Tony about anything. He very much wanted to talk with Tony because he was worried about the younger man. When DiNozzo Senior was in town, Tony was not himself. He made stupid mistakes and he reverted back to acting much like a self-conscious adolescent. Granted, Senior was extremely condescending towards Tony but surely he would have learned to endure his father's annoyances by now. Gibbs suspected Tony suffered abuse and neglect in his childhood at the hands of the man. Nothing else seemed to make sense.

"I've meant to but things got a little crazy this evening in case you hadn't noticed." A small bit of sarcasm lingered in the air.

"Don't patronise me, son."

Gibbs raked a weary hand through his hair. "Dad…"

"While you were busy making your sorry attempt to set Aimee straight tonight…"

"Wait a minute…"

"Don't interrupt me, Leroy."

Gibbs groaned. His father could interrupt him without so much as a second thought but if Gibbs so much as tossed a word in edgewise, all hell broke loose. Gibbs bit his tongue in anticipation.

"While you were with Aimee," his father continued. "Tony was sharing some rather interesting information with me about that child. You do realise that she's testing you, don't you? I saw it the first moment I set eyes on her. I'm not sure how you can't see it. I swear you're downright blind, boy."

Gibbs sucked in a sharp intake of air as he tried to keep himself calm. His dad could press buttons he didn't even realise he had. Even before his mother had died, Gibbs and Jackson were adept at being at odds with one another.

"Testing me how?" he asked, finding the information interesting to a certain extent. He wasn't so blind he didn't speculate it just a little, but he had swept it from his mind thinking he was being ridiculous.

Jackson adjusted his weight a little and pulled his cane in front of him, resting both hands on the handle.

"She wants to see how bad she can be. She wants…no, she needs to know what the worst case scenario is so there are no surprises later on down the road."

Gibbs frowned. "That's crazy. What does she expect I'll do to her?"

Jackson bounced his leg up and down several times before he responded. "Maybe what her stepfather did to her?"

Gibbs mulled that over in his mind a moment. So much about Aimee and Janessa's past was still a mystery to them all.

"She's a 9-year-old child, Leroy, and she's lost everything and everyone. She needs to know that you are the real deal and you will be here for the long haul."

"Of course, I am."

"I know that and you know that but Aimee doesn't."

Gibbs leaned his head back against the back of the sofa, reflecting on his father's words. It hadn't crossed his mind that Aimee was testing him to see if he would give up on her and desert her. He definitely knew she was testing him, heck, so was Janessa…heck, so was Abby for that matter.

Jackson rose to his feet. "I'm tired. I'm going to turn in. I suggest you do the same. I imagine tomorrow will be just as eventful as today."

Gibbs swung his feet to the floor. "What makes you say that?"

Jackson shrugged his shoulders. "For one thing, you haven't dealt with Jenny's problem either. When did you plan to do that?"

Gibbs paled. He'd completely forgotten that he's planned to have a few more words with Jenny's niece before he turned in for the evening. He glanced at the small mantle clock above the fireplace. 10 pm. He scrubbed a hand across his face and rose to his feet reluctantly. The cozy sofa had nearly adopted him as its own. There had been many a time that he had succumbed to its comfort and slept there all night, back in his bachelor days. Well, there was no time like the present. He might as well bite the bullet and have a chat with Makayla before he turned in.

"I'm not entirely sure to tell you the truth. I'm not exactly up on teenagers. Any ideas?"

Jackson looked taken aback. Enough so that it made Gibbs chuckle.

"Not used to me asking for advice, are ya?"

Jackson smirked in return. "I'm not experienced in dealing with teens of the female persuasion. I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help to ya."

Gibbs inhaled deeply and stretched his arms up in the air.

"I suppose that's true enough. Goodnight, dad."

Jackson rose to his feet and placed a shaky hand on his son's shoulder. "You're so much like your mother, Jethro."

Gibbs felt tears prick his eyes at the old man's soft confession. His father didn't often call him Jethro, but his mother always had. His eyes met his fathers for a brief moment before Jackson shuffled out of the room. Gibbs was left staring at the empty room. His father didn't mention his mother much anymore. It was always a point of contention between them. Gibbs had been a young teen when his mother had taken her life. Granted, she had been extremely sick and destined to die from her cancer, but Gibbs always felt bitter disappointment thinking about the time taken from him. Gibbs wiped tears from the corner of his eyes with determination. He wasn't going to let sentimental nonsense get the better of him tonight.

Gibbs sauntered into the kitchen and put his teacup in the sink. He leaned against the sink taking in the silence of the evening. He relished the peace. It reminded him of the days when he came home from NCIS to the empty house. While he had always enjoyed the peace, he never liked the loneliness. A loud bang from the pantry startled him. He spun on his heel as he heard a loud gasp of pain.

"Who's up?" he commented softly as he walked towards the pantry and flipped on the light.

Gibbs scanned the small storage room to see Makayla sitting on the floor rubbing the top of her head with a grimace settling in on her face.

"Mak?"

"Hello, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs put his hands on his hips and stared down at her. "Hello, yourself."

Makayla rose to her feet, still rubbing her head. Gibbs saw the offending object lying on the floor at their feet. A can of pea soup must have rolled off the shelf and hit her in the head.

"You ok?"

Makayla nodded with a sheepish look on her face.

"Well, it begs to be asked," began Gibbs ushering her from the pantry and into the kitchen, "Why are you sitting in the pantry?"

Makayla turned to face him, still looking sheepishly at him. Gibbs felt a smirk pulling at his lips. If anyone looked guilty, it was Makayla. She chewed on the inside of her lip and shrugged. This time Gibbs did chuckle.

"Have a seat, kiddo."

Makayla sat, still rubbing her head.

Gibbs walked to the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of milk and an icepack. He poured Makayla a glass of milk, grabbed the chocolate sauce from the cupboard and placed the ice pack on her head. He proceeded to mix some syrup in her milk and handed her the glass.

"Guaranteed to help any woe." He chuckled. "How's the noggin?"

Makayla accepted the glass of chocolate milk and winced as the ice settled on her head.

"Thanks."

Gibbs straddled a chair across from her and stared.

Makayla grimaced. "Why do you do that?"

"Why do I do what?"

"Stare at people. No offence but it really gives me the creeps."

Gibb's eyes twinkled. "Good."

"Good?"

"Yah, good. Perhaps a little discomfort now will save you from a whole lot of discomfort later."

Makayla narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gibbs sighed. "It means just what I said. Look, Mak, do you remember me asking you to come chat with me later?"

Makayla shook her head. "Actually, you didn't say that at all. You said I shouldn't go to bed until we talked and I haven't gone to bed, have I?"

Gibbs continued to stare at her. "I also said not to disappear either, didn't I?"

Makayla remained silent.

"Why were you hiding in the pantry?"

"I wasn't."

"Yes, you were."

Makayla shook her head. "No, I wasn't." She removed the ice pack from her head and slammed it on the table. "Is Aimee alright?"

Gibbs shook his head. "She's fine." He continued to stare at Makayla which in turn made her fidget.

Makayla stood to her feet holding her glass of milk. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."

Gibbs caught her by the arm. "Not yet you're not. You and I still need to talk."

This time Makayla was the one to glare. "About what? We already talked, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs shook his head. "Sit, Mak."

Makayla remained standing and yanked her arm from his grasp.

Gibbs rose to his feet and stared down at her. Makayla didn't back down but remained poised. Gibbs crossed his arms, blocking her exit. He was going to say his peace and not allow her to retreat until he had.

"I think you were deliberately avoiding me." Makayla opened her mouth to protest but Gibbs raised his hand to silence her. "And THAT is not how things work in this house or with me anywhere. I deal with things head on and I do not permit disrespect from anyone, including you. Now, please sit down."

Makayla sighed and sat down. "I meant no disrespect," she murmured.

Gibbs softened. He knew she didn't but he felt the need to clarify matters just a little between them.

Gibbs sat down once more. "Thanks for helping with Aimee earlier. She could use a wise older friend to confide in. Janessa and she have been through a lot the past six months or so."

Makayla blinked, tears brimming her eyes. "Is she okay?"

"Yes, a little scraped up but fine nonetheless."

"Are you mad I went out on the roof after her?"

Gibbs debated answering. His gut said hell, yes, he was mad she'd done that but his head told him that perhaps she had no choice.

"Let's say concerned is more the word we're looking for. You could have been hurt trying to rescue her, Mak. Your aunt would have kicked my butt from here to California if you'd been hurt."

Makayla's eyes flooded. "I'm sure she wouldn't have cared at all if I'd fallen. She'd be glad to be rid of me."

Gibbs frowned. "Makayla, that is untrue and you know it." Gibbs' voice held a scolding tone to it.

Tears escaped down her cheeks and she wiped them away with a glint of anger in her eyes.

"Communication has broken down between Jenn and you. Maybe Jenn hasn't realised that but you have. That means, it's up to you to rectify things. You will have no one to blame but yourself if things continue to remain aloof and broken."

"She refuses to listen. All she thinks about is what my mother will think of her."

Gibbs thought on that for a moment. He knew Jenn had unresolved issues with her older sister.

"That is none of your concern. The fact remains that your aunt has grounded you for skipping school. What are you going to do about it? Will you accept the punishment graciously or will you continue to rebel against it and incur more punishment? Jenn isn't someone to trifle with, Mak. She is the director of NCIS. Do you think that you can skirt around her and get away with it? If you do, let me save you the hassle of finding out how that will go for you. It won't be a pretty affair."

Makayla blinked back more tears and sat gaping at him. Gibbs had to admit, he surprised himself with that monologue. His own self-chosen selective mutism had left him in those moments. He figured he might as well go within. Perhaps, he might even cure himself.

"I think you can see for yourself that I have my hands full, but your aunt asked me to speak with you. I care for Jenn a great deal. She is a good friend and I'd like to think you and I are friends too."

Makayla blinked back more tears but remained silent.

"I can't allow you to disrespect her. Do you get what I'm saying here? You've put me in a bit of an awkward position. I'm not complaining. I'm glad you've confided in me. However, if you can't find the courage to be honest with your aunt, then I will need to step up and do it for you. You need to come clean with her and tell the truth."

Makayla chewed her lip tentatively. "She won't care, Agent Gibbs."

"You owe her the benefit of the doubt. Jenn hasn't been hard-assed her whole life, Mak. She did use to be a fourteen-year-old girl too at one time. She had dreams and visions for her future. Give her a chance, that's all I'm asking. Talk to her. Be real. It certainly cannot hurt things. But I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"NO matter what happens or what she says, you won't take off anymore. Aimee has run off on me more times than I can count and it scares the hell out of me. Please don't do that! Running away doesn't help matters. It only makes things worse."

Makayla nodded. "Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"I promise I won't run off anymore."

Gibbs smiled. "Good." He reached forward and ruffled her hair, feeling a lump on her head. He whistled. "That can got you good, didn't it?"

Makayla winced.

Gibbs glanced at his watch. It was well past midnight. "C'mon, it's late. Let's get some shut eye."

Makayla nodded. As they began to make their way towards the upstairs, Makayla stopped and looked at Gibbs for a moment. Gibbs smiled at her and was surprised when she launched herself into his arms. Gibbs pulled her in for a tight hug. Neither of them said anything in the moment but just enjoyed the embrace. After a few moments, Makayla pulled away, her face pink and she disappeared up the stairs. Gibbs chuckled, switched off the living room light and followed her up the stairs.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Aimee sat on the sawhorse in the basement bored out of her mind. She had been watching Gibbs sand his boat for the past few hours. No amount of whining and pleading had released her from her bondage of being Gibbs shadow.

"Can't I play with Janessa?" she tried again.

"Nope, Abby and Ness are going shopping and you can't go."

Aimee crossed her arms angrily. She would have much rather gone shopping with Abby than watch Gibbs sand his stupid boat.

"Can't I watch TV with Tony?"

"Nope. Tony is resting. He needs some time to rest."

"I'm not gonna bug him…"

"You're right, you're not because you are going to sit right there and watch me."

"But it's so boring."

"Good," replied Gibbs, giving her no sympathy.

Aimee slid off the sawhorse and started pacing. Gibbs took a few steps and walked in front of her, handing her some sandpaper. He pulled her over to his boat and showed her how to sand with the grain of the wood. Aimee made her arm like a ragdoll. She did not want to sand. Gibbs held tightly, using her hand to sand the boat. Aimee fidgeted and struggled to free her hand until Gibbs scooped her up and planted her back on the sawhorse.

"I don't wanna sit here," she whined and slid off the sawhorse once more to pace. "Can't I help Papa Jack? He said he was going to clean up the shingles outside. I knocked 'em off, shouldn't I be the one to pick them up?"

"Probably, but you're not."

Aimee sighed. She crossed her arms and glared at the back of Gibbs' head as he sanded. Her eyes scanned the room forlornly just as the phone rang loudly.

"I'll get it!" she announced as she launched herself at the phone sitting on Gibbs workbench.

Gibbs caught her mid-stride and took the phone from her hand. He answered it, greeting the person on the other with a kindly hello. Aimee frowned. Being Gibbs shadow seriously sucked. Aimee had never been so bored in all her life.

"…thanks for letting me know, Jenn." Gibbs hung up the phone and returned to his sanding without a word to Aimee.

"What did Director Shepard say?" asked Aimee, hoping for something, anything different to talk about.

"Just told me that she was running late and would be here to pick Mak up at 2 pm."

"Can I play with Mak?"

Gibbs sighed and turned to his older younger daughter. Abby was his oldest older daughter. The distinction made him chuckle to himself.

"Mak is organizing the pantry for me because of her late night escapades. She does not need your help."

Aimee scowled. "She's not even your kid, Gibbs. Why'd you punished her, anyway? She was just helping me!"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at Aimee. "For your information, I am not punishing her. Makayla volunteered to do the job for me." Gibbs returned to his sanding.

Aimee sighed loudly and wandered towards the foot of the steps, wistfully glancing up them.

"Don't get any ideas, little miss. C'mere, you can help me drill some holes in this beam."

"No," replied Aimee shaking her head and taking a step up. Aimee had reached her limit of watching Gibbs work on his boat. She was ready to escape, come hell or high water. Anything would be better than being trapped in the dusty basement.

"One swat for every step up. That's one," counted Gibbs, looking up but not moving.

Aimee froze but didn't turn to look at him. She debated how much she wanted out of the basement and if it was worth testing Gibbs resolve. She wondered if she could outrun him on the steps and then she found herself counting the steps to the top. She winced. Fourteen ominous steps to the top. She could probably outrun him but then what? He'd eventually catch up to her and then what? One thing she'd learned about Gibbs while they'd been together. He always did what he said he would and fourteen swats from his leathery hand would more than hurt a little. She stamped her foot in dismay. He wasn't being fair at all. She turned to look at him and he returned her glance, looking just a little smug. That made Aimee all the more angrier. She took another step.

"That's two."

Aimee glared at him and took another step until she was on the first landing. She leaned against the wall and stared daggers at him, just daring him to stop her.

"Three. You sure you want to keep going? Coming back down will erase the swats now. Going further could end up with fourteen swats in total, possibly fifteen if I count the top landing. That pretty much is a full blown spanking." Gibbs' voice was soft and even. "I know I wouldn't risk it if I were you."

Aimee huffed and took another step.

"Every step you take…"

"Every move you make, I'll be watching you, "sang a playful voice from the top of the steps.

Both Gibbs and Aimee looked up to see Tony at the top of steps with a big grin on his face.

"I thought you were resting, DiNozzo," said Gibbs, giving Aimee a meaningful glance and returning to his sanding. Aimee stood still gaping up at Tony.

Tony swept down the steps, scooped Aimee up into his arms and over his head until she was resting comfortably on his shoulders. He came the rest of the way down the steps balancing her with a boyish grin.

"It's boring up there with everyone busy. Need some help, Boss?"

"How's the head?"

Tony shrugged, hanging onto Aimee's feet so she wouldn't fall off. "It's okay."

Gibbs handed some sandpaper to Tony and pointed to a spot. "Start there. With the grain."

Tony slid Aimee to her feet and accepted the sandpaper. He positioned the little girl between himself and the boat and began sanding with her hand. Aimee continued her ragdoll impersonation. Tony seemed to ignore her and kept sanding with her hand.

"I'm probably gonna head home soon, Boss."

"I'm not stopping you," commented Gibbs, feigning interest in a particularly rough area on the bow of the boat.

"Senior called."

"You okay with that, Tony?" Gibbs looked him straight in the eye.

Tony sighed. "He just wants to talk about a business venture."

Gibbs frowned. "Tony,"

Tony raised his hand in the air to forestall the older man. "I've got it."

Gibbs nodded.

The two men sanded in silence while Aimee continued hanging her hand limply as Tony used it to sand. Several minutes later, Tony leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

"Make it a good day, Babydoll." He kissed her brow and let her hand fall to her side.

Tony set his sandpaper on the workbench. He glanced at Gibbs once more and disappeared up the steps. Both Aimee and Gibbs heard the front door open and close as Tony left.

Aimee chewed her lip as she watched Gibbs continue to work, seemingly oblivious to her. After a few more minutes of silence, Gibbs straightened up and looked at her.

"Tony saved face for you, huh?"

Aimee didn't respond but a part of her was relieved. She hadn't wanted to take on Gibbs but her pride hadn't let her back down.

"What do you say we take a break and have a snack," suggested Gibbs.

Aimee remained quiet. A break would be nice. She was bored stiff of watching him sand and sooner or later she would do something dumb that she'd regret if he made her stay with him any longer.

Gibbs headed toward the stairs and began his ascent. He counted out loud as he took each step upwards. When he reached the landing at the top, he stopped and looked down at her.

"Definitely fifteen steps to the top."

"Sixteen if you count the floor coming down," she murmured softly.

Gibbs smirked. "Yah, I guess you're right. Good thing everything is erased going down. C'mon, let's make some popcorn. Maybe Mak wants some too."

Aimee felt a small smile tug at her lips and hurried up the steps.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs looked up from the book he was reading to Aimee when the doorbell rang. At the same time, the phone rang in the kitchen. He frowned. He'd had McGee tap all his phone lines so he wasn't worried about who was calling anymore, but he couldn't place whose phone was ringing from the kitchen. Aimee wriggled out from his lap and took off towards the kitchen.

"If that's Ruthie, remember I want to speak to her parent," reminded Gibbs as she watched her run off.

"I know, "she answered as she disappeared.

The doorbell rang once more and Gibbs sauntered towards the door to answer it. It was taking a while getting used to having his front door locked. Before the girls came to live with him, he almost never locked his door. Life has changed.

He opened the door to see Jenny fiddling with her handbag.

"The whole locked door thing takes a little getting used to, Jethro."

Gibbs took a few steps back towards a small shelf in his front foyer. He opened the drawer and reached inside for some keys. Scooping them up, he reached out and took Jenn's free hand, dropped the extra set of keys into her palm.

"Meant to give these to you. Keep 'em. Just in case."

Jenny blinked her eyes a few times and nodded, stepping inside the door and closing it behind her. She set her bag on the floor and removed her coat. The brisk autumn wind had chilled her.

"How's Makayla?"

"Well, I think we've come to an understanding." Gibbs walked back towards the sofa and sat down. Jenn came inside and sat in the chair opposite to him.

"Things okay at NCIS?"

"As well as can be expected. The Admiral is not handling things well."

"You can hardly blame him, Jenn. His only son was murdered in cold blood."

"I know that, Jethro." Jenny's voice was soft; distracted.

Gibbs leaned back and put his hands behind his head, giving Jenny a once over. Jenny narrowed her eyes at him.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

Gibbs shook his head, a smirk dancing on his lips.

"I don't see what's so funny, Agent Gibbs…"

Gibbs chuckled out loud.

Jenny's face reddened. "Stop it…"

Gibbs laughed louder.

"Jethro," her voice sounded exasperated.

Just then, Makayla's auburn head poked around the corner. "Agent Gibbs, I finished tidying the pantry for you…oh, Hi Aunt Jenny, I didn't hear you come in." Makayla walked the rest of the way into the room.

"Hi, Makayla. How did you make out with Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs stood to his feet and stretched, figuring he'd bid a quick retreat and let the small family of two speak alone.

"Don't leave, Agent Gibbs," begged a small voice.

Gibbs' eyes met Makayla's and he saw her pleading with him to stay. Gibbs nodded and sat down once again. He didn't understand the dynamics between Jenny Shepard and her niece. Not at all. Makayla's soft plead was not lost on Jenny. She sent Gibbs an odd look that he chose to ignore.

"Makayla fits in well with my chaos," replied Gibbs with a chuckle.

Jenny smiled but Gibbs recognised it as an "I'm not letting you off that easy" kind of smile. He knew she'd be talking to him privately at some point in the future. "Gibbs made you clean his pantry?" The information seemed to have just reached Jenny and she hit Gibbs with a puzzling glance.

Makayla's face reddened. "Well, you see…"

Gibbs cut her off. "Mak took it upon herself to reorganize some of my chaos. I appreciate her organizational skills immensely. You know me, Jenn…"

Jenny chuckled. "Oh, Jethro, do I ever know you." She turned to face her niece with a smirk on her face. "I stopped sending him to the cold case room eons ago. If I ever expect to find anything, it's better to send Tim than Agent Gibbs."

"Hey!"

Makayla and Jenny had a good giggle at Gibbs' expense.

Silence took over the room once more. Gibbs cleared his throat and looked at Makayla purposefully. Makayla squirmed and sat on the edge of the chair beside her aunt.

"I think Mak here has something she wants to share with you."

Gibbs saw Makayla flinch at his words but he just gave her a pointed look. Putting things off would not help matters whatsoever.

Jenny's features softened as she looked at her niece lovingly. Gibbs felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. Jenny definitely loved Makayla. It was very plain to see.

"I wanted to talk to you, sweetheart. I'm sorry I lost my cool with you yesterday. I was so stressed with NCIS matters…well, I should have taken some time to listen to you," began Jenny.

Makayla's eyes moistened at her aunt's words.

"I know you miss your parents and it certainly doesn't help when I blow up at you."

"It's okay, Aunt Jenny. I know you have a difficult job at NCIS. I didn't mean to add to your stress."

Jenny patted the young girl's knee. "You didn't, honey. I was just worried when the school called and told me you were missing…"

"Makayla has promised me that that won't happen again, haven't you, Mak?" interjected Gibbs, hitting Makayla with a penetrating look as a reminder.

Makayla gulped in spite of herself. She fully agreed that she had promised that but now she wasn't so sure it was a good idea to make a promise to Gibbs. She didn't quite trust what he'd do if she broke the promise.

"Uh, yes. I did," she agreed quietly.

"I'm glad to hear it. Taking off at NCIS isn't wise either, sweetie. Minors cannot be running around NCIS unattended. That could get me in some hot water with my superiors." This time Jenny hit Gibbs will a pressing look. Gibbs pinched the edge of his nose, taking note of her look. He was all too well aware of his girls wondering around the building as well. It seemed that the guards and employees at NCIS had grown used to his little padawan learners running amok.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Jenny."

Jenny clicked her tongue. "You're forgiven." Jenny rose to her feet. "I'm thinking you and I should spend the rest of the afternoon doing some shopping. I don't know when your mom is returning from abroad but that doesn't mean you can't get a few new things from your Aunt Jenn, now does it."

Gibbs cleared his throat again and Makayla grimaced.

"What?" asked Jenny, looking at Gibbs. "What else?

"Have a seat, Jenn. Makayla has a few things she needs to tell you, don't you, Mak?"

Jenny slowly sat down and crossed her legs with a pinched expression on her face. Makayla stood to her feet and walked towards the fireplace while Gibbs settled back down into the sofa. He watched the young teen fidgeted and wrung her hands together. The gesture made him smirk.

"I skipped school to go downtown. I wanted to see one of my favourite contemporary artists' works at the gallery downtown. The exhibit was only for one day before it moved to New York," blurted the young girl, not making eye contact with the adults.

Jenny stiffened at the words. "I see."

"My mom would never let me go and daddy doesn't want me wasting time on such nonsense. But, Aunt Jenn, art isn't nonsense. It's, well, it's art. It's how people express themselves, much like music. There are so many brilliant artists in the world. Even you have some Monet's hanging in your home. And look at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City! People come from all over the world to see Michelangelo's masterpiece…"

"Makayla, no one is denying how much art has a place in life, but you are just a child and your education is very important. They don't call them starving artists for nothing. You need to set your sights higher. You are an intelligent young lady and you excel when you apply yourself. You won an award for your science project three years in a row. The world needs more brilliant minds more than it needs another painting."

Makayla grimaced. "And do you know what my latest science experiment was about?" countered the youngster. "Fresco paintings. I had to do a stupid science fair project but I made it about art because THAT is what is important to me. Not solving world hunger or curing cancer!" Makayla's eyes were red-rimmed as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

Jenn blinked slowly, digesting the information. "Nevertheless, science is important to our future as a civilization. Your parents pay a lot of money for your education, Makayla. I don't want you skipping school for an art exhibit. Do you hear me? You study art at school. Isn't that enough?"

Makayla snorted as she dropped her hands to her sides. "You call that art? We study a few artists and then move on? Aunt Jenny, I want more. I want to study techniques and learn how to master them. I want to develop my own artistic talent…"

Jenny stood to her feet. "Makayla, I've heard enough. This isn't a conversation you should be having with me. You need to speak with your parents. I do not have the authority to undermine what your parent's plan is for your life…"

"It's my life, damn it! They don't have the right to plan my life and neither do you!"

Gibbs could see Makayla shaking all over, hoping to be heard. He could see her struggling to keep herself calm and together. He was in awe at how articulate the young teen girl was for her age. He had a lot of admiration for her.

"Now, just a minute, young lady. You have no right to talk to me…" began Jenn.

Gibbs stood to his feet, deciding to intervene before things spiralled out of control.

"Now, Jenn, you might not have the authority to change anything, but you can listen to Mak. I think that is what she's hoping for…someone to listen and maybe sympathize with her."

Makayla blinked back tears. "I know you can't change it, Aunt Jenn. I just wish someone could." Makayla choked back a sob. Gibbs couldn't help himself. He walked over and drew the girl into his arms and hugged her, planting a kiss on her brow.

Jenn looked unconvinced. "Makayla, this world is a tough competition. If you're going to make it, you need to set your eyes on a good occupation. While fine art might be a nice outlet, most artists aren't recognised for their work until they depart this world."

Makayla wiped her eyes and pulled away from Gibbs embrace. "I don't care about money, Aunt Jenn. I don't need a big house and fancy clothes. I just want to draw. Being true to yourself is more important than anything else!"

The young girl chewed her lip and then went to leave the room. Gibbs caught her by the arm gently, giving her a knowing look. Makayla pulled away with a loud sniffle.

"Remember your promise…" he whispered.

Makayla yanked her arm away as tears escaped down her cheek, but she stood staring at him.

"I agree that being true to yourself is important, Mak, but listening to wise counsel is just as important."

The red-headed girl groaned in exasperation. Gibbs' heart went out to her as she stood struggling to maintain her composure. Jenny brushed her hand over the youngster's hair and offered a tentative smile.

"You're so young, sweetie. You have your entire life ahead of you. The choices you make now are important, even at your young age."

Tears cascaded down Makayla's cheeks. In the distance, Gibbs heard the phone ring again, this time coming from upstairs. Again it struck Gibbs as odd that the phone wouldn't ring in the living room. He was consciously aware of the oddity but remained transfixed in the moment.

"Art means the world to me, Aunt Jenn and I'm good at it. Hell, I'm better than good. I'm not going to be a scientist or an engineer, no matter how much you and my parents want me too."

Jenny sighed. "Well, be that as it may, you may not skip school for any reason while you stay with me unless you have my permission. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Tears continued to fall but Makayla relented and shook her head. Gibbs patted her shoulder in sympathy.

"Okay, now how about that shopping trip?" Jenny suggested brightly.

Makayla shook her head. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather go back to your place and finish my homework." Makayla wandered out of the room towards the steps turning to face Gibbs and Jenn.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded and the girl disappeared up the stairs.

Gibbs exchanged a look with Jenn who sat down, looking defeated.

"I guess the powers that be knew I'd suck at parenting. Probably why I'm the hard-assed director of a criminal investigation agency rather than an old-fashioned, stay at home mother."

"Jenn, I'd hardly call you old-fashioned." He smirked.

She sighed and hit him with a scathing look. "I'm serious, Jethro. What business did my sister have leaving me guardianship of Makayla? For heaven sakes, I can't even discipline myself these days. I didn't get to bed until past 4 am this morning."

Gibbs was taken aback. He didn't think the current case was at such a point that anyone needed to lose sleep over it. In fact, from what he knew, the case was mostly cut and dry. The admiral was a son of a bitch to be certain but he had the right to be considering the circumstances. The dust would settle in time.

"Why so late, Madam Director?"

Jenny sat back and rested her head. "Nothing to do with NCIS, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs sat down. "Okay, then why so late, Jenn?"

"I waited to call my sister. The time difference makes it difficult to have a decent conversation and texting her wasn't cutting it." Jenny rubbed her eyes. "The woman is exasperating. All I wanted was some words of advice and she is simply incorrigible." Jenny puffed out her cheeks and then made eye contact with him. "Did you have any luck speaking with her?"

Gibbs blinked in disbelief. "She spoke to you, didn't she?"

Jenn nodded. "I have to admit, that in itself is a miracle. How did you manage it?"

"Simple, I beat her into submission." Gibbs' face was deadpan.

Jenn scowled at him.

"Okay, I threatened to beat her into submission?" he risked again.

Jenn lifted a brow. "You better not have."

Gibbs chuckled. "Well, I may have threatened to upend her over my knee if she took off again, but it was all just a smoke screen, really. But, Jenn, do keep an eye on her about that. She is serious about this art business and the kid is good! Have you seen any of her work?"

Jenn shook her head.

"Well, trust me when I say it. She has a portfolio she carries in her backpack. The girl is good. No doubt about it. Her parents should be looking into shaping that talent. Not all artists are discovered after they kick the bucket. Some are very wealthy and well known while they still breathe air."

The phone rang again in the distance, this time it seemed to be coming from the basement. Gibbs was perplexed. He had one phone number and his cell phone. His cell was in his pocket and it was not ringing. His landline was connected to phones all over the house. If his landline was being rung, all the phones would ring not just an isolated phone line. This time Gibbs picked up the receiver in his living room and covered the mouthpiece. He held up a finger to silence a surprised Jenn while he listened. His face paled as he listened. Jenn waited in silence as she watched the colour drain from Gibbs' face. Several minutes went by before Gibbs hung up.

"Jethro, what the hell is going on?"

Gibbs was on his feet as he hung. "Aimee! Aimee, where are you?"

"Gibbs, what's going on?"

Gibbs' face was white.

Just then Makayla came flying down the stairs holding something in her hand. "Agent Gibbs! Agent Gibbs! I…I…" stuttered Makayla, struggling to catch her breath.

Gibbs looked at her. "Is Aimee upstairs?"

"No…no, she's not," huffed Makayla, struggling to catch her breath. "This note says she ran away. She's gone, Agent Gibbs."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hello Readers!**_

 _ **Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews. I'm so glad to see that people like my Janessa/Aimee universe.**_

 _ **Happy New Year!**_

 _ **I had a few hours to write and edit this afternoon so I thought I'd drop another chapter on fanfiction.**_

 _ **This story has taken on a life of its own. Just when I think it's heading in one direction, the characters take over and take it in another. Oh well, it makes it more fun for me. As long as I know where I'm headed, a few detours here and there make it all the more interesting LOL**_

 _ **Plenty more to come.**_

 _ **I'm so inspired by all the reviews... thanks so much!**_

Gibbs leaned his head against the wall, rocking it back and forth. Alone in Jenny's office allowed him some much-needed privacy. It had been twenty-four hours since he'd held Aimee in his lap reading A Wrinkle in Time to her. Twenty-four hours since he'd felt peaceful in his spirit. Everything had gone straight to hell ever since. It was hard to believe that twenty-four measly hours could make such a difference. But it did. He had exhausted every possible lead and came up empty. He was no closer to holding her in his arms than he was twenty-four hours ago when she left them. He'd searched high and low, and the local LEOS had nothing to show for their search. Hell, Gibbs had even personally attempted to pay David Brody a visit on a hunch that somehow the lunatic was involved, but it had been a rabbit trail to nowhere. Security around Brody was impenetrable. As much as he fought to beat it, he ended up defeated. No one that _the powers to be_ didn't approve could gain access to the man. It was a humbling reality. He was Gibbs after all. Gibbs could do anything. He was above the law. Except he wasn't. Not this time. While his gut screamed expletives at him, he was forced to walk away with his tail between his legs, having no power to penetrate the red tape surrounding Brody. Gibbs grimaced and pinched his nose, feeling a headache like no other pounding at the back of his head. What good was he if he couldn't even save his own daughter? What good was he if he couldn't protect her? Damn it all to hell! What good was he?

"You really should eat something."

Gibbs inwardly groaned at the interruption to his internal flagellation. He wasn't nearly finished berating himself. He clenched his jaw, wishing that he could disappear into thin air. He didn't have the energy to hold anyone else up and he sure as hell didn't want anyone to hold him up.

"Jethro, c'mon take it. You haven't eaten or drank anything all day. Punishing yourself won't change matters. You need your strength…"

"I'm only going to say this once, Jenn. Leave me alone." His voice was dangerously low. He didn't trust himself to be around people in his state of mind.

Jenny Shepard set the sandwich she'd brought with her on a nearby table. She hadn't known Gibbs when he lost his wife and daughter, but she had seen him when he thought he'd lost them again after losing his memory. It had been disconcerting to see the strong, formidable man reduced to pieces of his former self. She wasn't about to sit by and watch him crumble again. Not when there was still hope. And there was hope. There was always hope until there wasn't. Granted, twenty-four hours was a long time for a child to be missing, and in Washington with a huge human trafficking racket always looming large on the forefront, it was heart-wrenching to think about. But there was always hope.

"Agent Gibbs," she began, using her best authoritative voice. "Stop beating yourself up! Agent DiNozzo and the rest of your team are out there combing the streets and following leads that you gave them. Why are you just standing there letting them do all the work? Your daughter is missing and she needs you!"

Gibbs grimaced, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn't move his head from the wall but continued rolling it back and forth. He squeezed his eyes tightly as images of Kelly and Shannon flashed to his mind. Their funerals. Kelly's small casket. His heart being ripped from his chest. His life being ripped from him. He couldn't breathe. A guttural sob escaped his lips as he felt hot, angry tears fall down his cheeks. He wasn't a weak man. What the hell was happening to him? Was it possible to reach your limit and lose your mind while you were still knowingly aware of it? Could a man be both sane and insane at the same time?

"Jethro…" He felt her gentle hand on the back of his head. It was a maternal touch, and for a few brief seconds, he allowed himself to imagine it was the touch of his mother, comforting him after a disappointment. "Don't give up hope. Aimee is a bright little girl…"

Gibbs stood up straight and looked at Jenny. His eyes red-rimmed. His hope light all but extinguished.

"How cold is it, Jenn?"

Jenny blinked.

"She didn't take a jacket."

"You don't know that for sure..."

"She didn't take her backpack."

"I know."

"Where could she be, Jenn?"

Jenny chewed her bottom lip wishing she had an answer. Seeing Gibbs coming unglued wasn't exactly an easy thing to see. It was a rare sight to see, in fact. She looked around the room. In the privacy of her office, he should be allowed to unravel. If it was Makayla missing, she would have been worse and Gibbs would have been there for her. Allowing him a moment to be human was the best gift she could give him.

"I wish I knew, Jethro."

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face as more tears stubbornly escaped.

"What is so important about Brody that I couldn't interrogate him?" said Gibbs. Suddenly enough to give Jenny whiplash, his demeanour changed as he brushed away mutinous tears. He forced his emotions downward, no longer allowing himself to feel them. Feeling sorry for himself was a waste of time that he didn't have.

"Jethro…" began Jenny, wishing the man to allow his emotions time to settle, rather than brushing them aside.

"I'm fine, Jenn." And just like that, he was. He wasn't really but he had festered in his pity long enough to gain some sort of equilibrium and just like that he was done. "Why has the president made him off limits to NCIS?"

Jenny sighed and crossed the room to her desk, sitting down. The moment had passed and the all business-like Gibbs was back. She didn't know if she was happy with that or not.

"It's complicated, Jethro. Brody knows information that could put this country in a very perilous position. It's in our best interest to keep him on our side."

"They think he'd commit treason?"

Jenny sighed. "What does the man have to lose, Jethro? He's been sentenced to life in prison, and he doesn't see himself as anything but a hero. And in some respects, he is! He singlehandedly undermined an entire human trafficking ring. Millions of people were spared a horrible life…"

"At the expense of his own child!"

"I know that, Gibbs, but in his defence, he didn't know Aimee was his in beginning. That's on Rebecca Percy, not Brody. The man is being punished…serving a life sentence for multiple murders, among other crimes, including child endangerment. The fact remains that he is a close, personal friend of the president, and he has been instrumental in shutting down MS-13. I guess the question you have to ask yourself, is if you trust the president to know what he is doing."

Gibbs heaved a sigh. He respected the president. He really did. The man had been in leadership for two consecutive terms and things were peaceful. The President had made powerful changes and had even made a difference in the Persian Gulf as well. Gibbs had yet to make peace with it after Desert Storm but the president had more than earned his respect. And while World peace wasn't on the immediate horizon or anything of the sort, no one in the US could complain about how well the country was being run.

"You're fooling yourself if you think he shut down MS-13…"

"Okay, he put a huge chink in their armour. The point is, that for now, things are quiet, peaceful even, and people are beginning to feel safe again."

Gibbs scratched the back of his head. His gut would not stop churning. "Aimee's chip holds pertinent information that could blow the top off the whole crime ring…essentially stopping it in its tracks. I don't trust that Brody is just going to let that go. If he got his hands on her, he wouldn't so much as blink before he'd kill her for that information."

Jenny couldn't disagree with him even though she wished she could. "Let's not imagine the worst. Besides, Brody can't make a single phone call without it being traced and listened too. Hell, the man can't even use the washroom alone. There is no way he can be a threat to Aimee, Gibbs."

Gibbs clenched his fists tightly and walked towards the window. As much as he wanted to believe what Jenny was saying, he couldn't. There were just too many what-ifs and unknowns. As much as he wanted to trust his government and its leaders, he could not. He was far too jaded for that. He'd seen too much in his time as a marine and especially as an agent. Life was not all kittens and roses.

As Gibbs stood brooding and spinning things around in his head, the intercom buzzed.

"Yes, Cynthia?" said Jenny, keeping eye contact with Gibbs.

"Agent DiNozzo and David would like to speak with you, Ma'am."

"Send them in."

Jenny rose to her feet as her office door swung open. Ziva walked in first followed by Tony. Both looked distraught which struck Gibbs as disconcerting. Aimee being missing was personal to them all. He could see the weary and worried expression that had settled on both their faces. Tony had a pinched look on his face that set Gibbs teeth on edge. There was much more going on with Tony than Gibbs knew about. It took a lot to shake his protégé, and even though things were personal with Aimee, Gibbs' paternal instinct was working overtime. Tony was keeping something from him that had nothing to do with what was going on with Aimee. Gibbs ran his tongue along the top of his teeth before biting down on it. Now wasn't the time to confront Tony.

"Anything?" he asked, purposed avoiding Tony and asking Ziva instead.

Ziva shook her head. "Nothing, I am afraid."

"We checked under every rock in Washington, Boss…" said Tony, oblivious to Gibbs reading him like an open book. "She's simply disappeared into thin air."

Gibbs cleared his throat and turned to the wall again. His legs felt weak like they would give out from beneath him if he didn't consciously seek support from the wall. It had been too long. Too long for Aimee to be without a coat. Too long for her to be on her own.

"Abby has been trying to reach you, Gibbs. She's worried…" began Ziva, crossing the room to stand behind the man she respected and loved so much. She didn't dare touch him. Ziva was always respectful and cautious.

Gibbs raised an arm to silence her but didn't turn around.

Ziva looked at Jenny.

Tony stood silently.

"Well, now we move on to plan B," stated Jenny, reaching for her phone. The presidential phone.

Gibbs spun on his heel. "What is plan B?"

Jenny was deadpan, an expression she'd learned from the best. "Need to know basis, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs frowned.

Jenny dialled and placed the receiver to her ear. "Hello, Mr. President."

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs and Tony stood in the conference room staring at one another, both without words in the moment. A timid knock at the door had them both on edge but neither of them moved to answer it. The door opened and a small auburn head peeked inside.

"Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs frowned. "Mak?"

The teenager chewed the corner of her lip and slipped inside the door. She wrung her hands nervously as she stood staring at the two men.

"Why aren't you with Abby?" Gibbs demanded.

"I was...I told her I needed to use the bathroom."

Gibbs felt his temper increase. He wasn't in any frame of mind to mess around with brazenness. He had more patience for kids than anyone he knew but right now, his tolerance level was -1000.

"I don't even want to know why. You have no business wandering around NCIS unaccompanied. Get your butt back to the lab NOW!" Makayla had been left in Abby's care while the rest of them had been searching for Aimee. It was late Sunday afternoon and they had no other choice. Makayla was stuck with them. Janessa had been left with Jackson to handle. Gibbs felt bad for ditching the little girl but again his hands were tied as well. Janessa probably needed him more than anyone right now and it was killing him not to be with her. She had been beside herself when she found out that Aimee had taken off without her. Gibbs was grateful that his father was good with Janessa. He'd been amazing with Kelly too. That knowledge was the only reason he could leave her.

"But…"

Gibbs groaned and took a menacing step towards the teen. He wasn't sure he could be held responsible for how he handled her if she chose to disobey him now.

Tony stepped in front of Gibbs and pulled the young girl in for a hug. "What's up, Mak?"

Makayla leaned into him, tears springing to her eyes causing Gibbs to relent. He took a few steps back and allowed himself to regroup.

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs. It's my fault!" The girl dissolved into tears and buried her face in Tony's shirt. Tony embraced her and looked at Gibbs in confusion.

Gibbs inhaled a deep breath and shook his head. Everything was turned upside down.

He crossed the room and grabbed her arm gently to turn her towards him. Tears streamed down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb.

"Why do you think so?"

"B-because I do. If you hadn't been so busy getting me t-to talk to Aunt Jenny, Aimee wouldn't have had time to run away."

Gibbs and Tony exchanged a telling look. Gibbs felt fatigue wash over him. He couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't be the hero that everyone expected him to be. He felt spent.

Tony placed a hand on Makayla auburn head. "Aimee taking off is not your fault, Makayla." He grasped her chin in his hand. "Aimee made a conscious choice to run away. No one forced her to leave…" Gibbs grimaced. He hoped that those words were true. One part of him wanted her to have taken off because she was being reckless and disobedient and not something else. But his gut was screaming at him that that wasn't the case.

"It's not your fault, Makayla," Gibbs said quietly.

Makayla trembled in Tony's arms.

"The best way to help us now is to do what you're told. Don't make things worse."

The door flew open all at once and Jenny stood in the doorway along with several FBI agents. Jenny's eyes widened when she saw her niece standing in the midst of things.

"Makayla! What are you doing here?"

Tony pulled the young teen closer to him. "She's frightened, Jenny."

Jenny's eyes ignited. She turned to an agent behind her. "Get her out of here. Take her to Miss. Sciuto's lab immediately."

The agent stepped towards Makayla but the teenager dodged the burly agent, ducking under the table. She stood by the window in the interrogation room and glared at her aunt.

"It's my fault that Aimee ran away," she shouted. "I tried to tell her not to listen to him but she said she had to."

Gibbs felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. He was at Makayla's side before anyone in the room could blink.

"Tell her not to listen to who, Mak?"

Makayla blinked back more tears as she looked at all the eyes on her. She gulped in trepidation, feeling like she wanted to bolt from the room. Gibbs grabbed her forearms and turned her so that she was facing him directly. His cobalt blue eyes had never looked more earnest. Makayla's eyes darted to her aunts' briefly. Jenny clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes which caused the young girl to gasp in response.

Gibbs cupped her chin gently, bringing her attention back to him. "Tell me what you know."

Makayla swallowed, tears falling down her cheeks. "After breakfast when Aimee was getting dressed, the phone in your bedroom rang. Aimee ran to get it and picked it before it could ring twice. It was like she was expecting it or something." Makayla's lip quivered.

"Go on," prompted Gibbs, continuing to stare directly into her green eyes.

Makayla swallowed again, feeling like she was being strangled. "She said he was making her leave…"

"Who, Mak?"

Makayla trembled. "I-I…s-she wouldn't tell me. S-she made me swear not to tell anyone. She said everyone would die…"

Gibbs paled as he grabbed Makayla by the arm, pulling her after him.

Jenny gaped as Gibbs all but dragged Makayla from the interrogation room towards the elevator down the hall. Makayla cried out in alarm but Gibbs kept walking.

"Jethro!" called Jenny. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Tony found his wits and bolted towards the elevator catching it before it closed, leaving Jenny Shepard and the FBI agents staring at empty space.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

The heavy doors slammed shut and locks fastened, clicking ominously in place. The room was dimly lit and it took a while for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Aimee shivered despite the fact that the room she was now in was warm. She'd been so cold for so long that she thought she might just freeze to death where she huddled. She kept telling herself that she'd done the right thing by leaving when she did. It was her job to make things right. Her stepfather had set things into motion and she had been fooling herself to believe she could just ignore it. It was up to her to finish things come what may.

"What's your name, kid?" Aimee shivered as the same man who had found her approached her. It was hard to make out his features in the darkness of the room. She didn't think she recognized who he was but it didn't matter. She was sure that David Brody had sent him and that was all she needed to know.

"Where are you taking me?" she dared to ask.

The dark haired man narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Look, kid, I'm not taking you anywhere except maybe to the police station. It's freezing out there. What are you, like eight years old? Why aren't you home with your parents? The street's no place for a kid!" His voice held a scolding tone to it.

Aimee shivered again. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she'd screwed up again. "Y-you don't know David Brody?"

The man frowned. "FBI Brody? Why are you asking about that creep?"

"He's my dad," she managed to whisper, not fully believing the words even as she spoke them.

The man whistled and shook his head. "Tough break, kid."

Aimee looked around the dark room she was in. She couldn't make out much except the room was surrounded by walls filled with books, much like a library.

"Where are we?"

The man stooped to one knee in front of her, seemingly checking her out. He eyed her closely making Aimee feel very uncomfortable. He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, tipping it up slightly into the light.

"Your old man do that to you?" asked the man gruffly.

Aimee pulled her head away, straining her eyes in what little light there was to get a better look at her rescuer. Her heart hammered in her chest realizing how dangerous things were for her now. She didn't know this man and he didn't seem to be who she thought he was.

"I hit my head on the roof." Aimee grimaced. She didn't know why she was telling him anything about her recent injuries. It was none of his business. "Who are you anyway?"

The man rose to his full height and turned his back to her. Aimee saw him pull something out of his pocket and then figured out it was a cigarette when he put it to his mouth and lit it in the darkness.

"You can call me Riley."

Aimee fidgeted on her feet, taking a few steps towards the doorway which she'd come in.

"You can leave, kid. I'm not stopping you. I just thought you might appreciate a warm spot for the night. It's dropping down below zero tonight," he said as he turned to face her, blowing a mouthful of smoke in her direction.

Aimee waved her hand and sputtered in the smoke. "So you don't know David Brody?"

"I know of him. Hell, everyone knows about him. He stopped that human trafficking ring several months back and chased them back underground. It was in all the papers. But I also heard he's a bastard. He'd just as soon kill his own kid…" The man stopped in his monologue and narrowed an eye at her. "You're the kid?"

Aimee spun on her heel and yanked on the door to escape. The man held out a firm hand and kept the door firmly shut. He quickly tossed his cigarette to the floor and stomped on it to extinguish the flame.

"What a minute!" He growled, leaning on the door.

"You said I could go, so I'm leaving!" snapped Aimee, visibly trembling.

Riley licked his lips. "Not so fast, kid. Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."

Aimee sucked in a quick breath and backed away from him. Riley lurched forward and grasped her firmly by the arm. He picked her up effortlessly and brought her into the light. Tears filled her eyes as she struggled to free herself. To say she was terrified would have been an understatement. Aimee blinked a few times until her vision cleared the tears and her pupils adjusted to the brighter light. She felt her backside being firmly planted on a table and Riley rested his arms on either side of her legs, leaning in close enough to invade her personal space. Aimee gaped at him. In the brighter light, she was able to get a good look at her rescuer or captor, whatever the case was. Despite Riley's face being dirty and his beard overgrown, his dark brown eyes looked kind. His dark brown hair was short and cut into a military cut. Aimee blinked a few times and realised that the man was also dressed in military fatigues.

"You're in the military?" she asked, forgetting herself.

Riley smiled at her just then and his smile was as kind as his eyes. Aimee felt herself relax. Maybe she could trust him.

"I am."

Aimee looked closer trying to decide if she could distinguish which military branch Riley was part of. His uniform was filthy making it hard to decide.

"Marine, right?"

Riley looked taken aback. "Yes, I am at that. How'd you figure that out?"

Forgetting herself, Aimee giggled. "Oh, that's easy. Marines wear tan coloured fatigues."

Riley continued staring at her. "You're right, we do. You gonna tell me the truth of how you got those cuts and bruises on your face and why you're out wandering around on your own with no jacket?"

Aimee shook her head. She didn't want to tell him anything else. It hit her that now things were seriously messed up. If Riley knew Gibbs, the jig was up before she'd even had a chance to do what was right. She had to remember that she had an agenda to fulfill. If she didn't away and be visible to whomever Brody wanted to get her, there was no telling what he would do to her new family.

Riley patted her knee gently. "I understand, kid. I really do." Riley began to pace back and forth. "Finding you has really messed with my plans as well. My conscience would never allow me just let you walk off on your own. You don't even have a jacket, for Pete's sake."

Aimee scowled suddenly wondering more about the marine. Why was he not with his unit? Was he on active duty? Was he AWOL or a deserter? It seemed odd to her that he would be either. Riley continued pacing for several more minutes and then stopped. He scratched the back of his head and turned to face her once more.

"Will you at least tell me your name? A kid is a goat and you certainly don't look like a goat to me. I'd rather have a name to call you."

Aimee bit her lip considering his words before shaking her head. "It's better you don't know."

Riley shrugged. "Suit yourself." He was quiet a moment and then spoke again. "If you won't tell me a name, I'll give you one. Let's see, well, you don't have red hair so I can't call you Annie, and I can't really think of any famous blonde hair little girls, can you?"

Aimee scrunched up her face in disdain making Riley break out laughing.

"Well, I think I'll call you Jane."

"Jane? That's original," commented Aimee disapprovingly.

Riley chuckled. "Well, you could always tell me your real name, you know."

Aimee sighed and slid off the table. "Jane is fine, besides I'm only staying one night. Tomorrow I need to go."

Riley nodded and rested against the table he's set Aimee on. Aimee walked into the dimness of the room and sat down, leaning against the outside door.

"So you're AWOL, huh?"

Aimee heard Riley suck in a sharp intake of air. "Geez, kid. How old are you, anyway?"

"Doesn't matter. I've been around enough to know about stuff. How long have you been AWOL? You could be in a lot of trouble if you don't return to your unit even if you're not on active duty."

Riley lit up another cigarette. "I'll tell you what. I'll answer your questions if you answer mine. Deal?"

Aimee pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She was hungry and fatigue was washing over her but at least she wasn't cold. She had been so cold before and regretted not grabbing a jacket when she left. David Brody was warned her to leave everything behind. She was even wearing the clothes she wore the night her mother and Sarah were killed. She was supposed to take nothing.

"I can't do that, Riley. The less you know the better."

Riley nodded solemnly.


	13. Chapter 13

_**And the plot thickens..** **.dun dun dun...**_

 _ **Thanks for the reviews...they truly encourage me.**_

 _ **Stay warm! Its a frosty -30 here in Ontario, not counting the wind chill. Burrrr...**_

The doors to the elevator closed, hiding Tony, Makayla and Gibbs discreetly inside. The elevator was the one place in the whole building that lacked surveillance of any kind, outside of the bathrooms of course. Gibbs hit a button on the control panel and faced the front, breathing heavily, his mind spinning in a thousand different directions. He refused to make eye contact with his protégé. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tony draw a frightened Makayla into an embrace. Gibbs' heart hammered in his chest as he did his best to clear his thoughts and calm himself down. He was going by his gut and his gut told him he needed privacy to talk with Makayla. The FBI agents' presence with Jenny had set the fine hairs on the back of his neck on end. Something was off. He didn't know what but from here on in, he wasn't working with the FBI and certainly not the President. Something was awry and until he knew what it was, he didn't trust anyone outside his team.

"Boss, what's going on?"

Gibbs looked sideways at Tony and his heart ached when he caught a glimpse of Makayla's frightened face.

"It's okay, Mak," he whispered, turning and placing his hand on her head.

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs…" she managed, choking back a sob.

"Aww, kid, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm sorry I scared you. I can't explain everything to you, Mak, but I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Makayla sniffed and nodded.

Gibbs turned his attention to Tony. "McGee blocked the phone line upstairs."

Tony's eyes widened.

"Only outgoing calls can be made by that line."

In that moment, Tony understood why Gibbs had reacted how he did. McGee was good; graduated the top of his class at MIT, and if he'd blocked Gibbs' line, there was no way anyone but someone above NCIS could secure the line.

"What are you thinking?"

Gibbs mulled over things for several seconds before messing up Makayla's hair playfully.

"You okay?"

Makayla managed a weak smile and nodded.

"Did you hear any of Aimee's conversation with the caller?"

Makayla sniffled and pulled away from Tony. "Not exactly."

Gibbs reached out and stopped the elevator from moving further. The lift shuddered to a stop and pitched the occupants into darkness.

"I need to know everything, Makayla." Gibbs' voice was soft but firm.

The emergency lighting came on casting shadows in the elevator. Tony and Gibbs exchanged a look over Makayla's head.

"I just heard him say she wasn't allowed to take anything with her…when I came into the room, she covered the mouthpiece and the rest was garbled." Tears swam in her eyes once more and escaped down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Agent Gibbs. At first, I thought it was just a game. I didn't know…"

Gibbs brushed his hand across her cheek. "It's okay, Mak. You couldn't have known." He winked at her kindly in a sorry attempt to comfort her. "When we reach the next floor, I want you to go back to the lab and stay with Abby. I mean it! No wandering off. Remember your promise to me."

Makayla nodded. "What shall I say to Aunt Jenny?"

"You tell her the truth but wait until she is alone, understand?"

Makayla sniffled and nodded again. Gibbs pulled her into a hug. "Everything is going to be fine, kiddo." He reassured her.

Reaching out, Gibbs started the lift once more. The elevator jerked to a start and proceeded to the next level, stopping at level B1 where Abby's lab was located. The door opened to a surprised and worried Abby standing in front of it.

"Makayla!" Abby cried, pulling Makayla into her arms like a long lost friend. "I was just about to go searching for you. Where did you use the bathroom? In Japan?"

"Keep a better eye on her, Abbs," admonished Gibbs, coming out the elevator while Tony held the door ajar. They weren't staying long to chat.

Abby looked chagrined but knew better than to argue based on Gibbs' pinched expression. "Any leads on Aimee?" Abby asked, looking at Gibbs first then shifting her eyes to Tony. Gibbs' was expressionless which wasn't unexpected; Abby was used to the elder man choosing to keep her in the dark about things. Tony shook his head while Gibbs remained selectively silent in response to her question.

"I need you to keep Makayla with you," was all he said.

"Where are you going?" questioned Abby, her face growing pale. While she was used to being in the dark, Gibbs was acting mysteriously strange, even for Gibbs. "What's going on, Gibbs?"

Continuing to ignore Abby's line of questioning as only Gibbs could, he turned to Makayla once again. "I'm trusting you to keep your promise, Mak."

Makayla nodded. Without another word, Gibbs planted a kiss on Abby's brow and stepped back into the elevator.

Once inside the elevator again, Gibbs hit the button for the garage. Tony leaned against the cold steel wall and stared at his bosses back.

"So, what now?" Tony asked.

Gibbs turned to Tony with an anomalous expression settling on his face. Tony felt his heart rate pick up. Suddenly he felt like he'd been cornered and he didn't like it.

"What's up with Senior?"

Tony blinked. It wasn't a question he'd expected. Gibbs had about a hundred other things looming larger than life and Tony never expected that Gibbs would choose now to get personal.

"Uh, what do you mean, Boss?"

Gibbs reached out and stopped the lift yet again. "Just what I said. You deaf, Di Nozzo?"

"No, but I didn't think…"

Gibbs took a few steps closer, encroaching on Tony's personal space. "Are you purposely pissing me off?"

Tony gulped, taken completely off guard. "I can handle it, Gibbs."

"You can handle it." Gibbs' echoed.

"I can handle it."

Gibbs' cobalt eyes bore into Tony's emerald green ones. "I have no idea where all this is going to take us, Tony. I need to know you can handle it because if you can't… if you're somehow off your game, I need to know right now. So, I'm going to ask you one more time. What the hell is going on?" Gibb's voice was dangerously low.

Tony swallowed slowly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down vigorously. Gibbs stared him down, knowing something was off. Tony fidgeted under the intense stare and broke the trance by looking at the floor and taking a step sideways.

"He wants me to back him."

"Back him?"

"He has a business opportunity he'd like to pursue and he hasn't the capital he needs."

"So you told him no, right?"

Tony turned his back to Gibbs and rubbed the back of his neck. Gibbs clenched his jaw in anticipation of the answer. For some reason, Tony could not physically say no to his father about anything.

"What did he say to you, Tony?" asked Gibbs softly when Tony didn't answer his question.

Tony shook his head in response making Gibbs' temper rise. Gibbs grabbed the younger man by the arm and forced him to face him. Tony 's jaw was clenched tightly.

"What the hell did that man do to you to make you so afraid of him?" Gibbs' voice was almost a whisper.

Tears shimmered in Tony's eyes but Gibbs saw him stubbornly blink them back. Tony stood to his full height, several inches taller than Gibbs. He cleared his throat but his hands were visibly shaking. "I said I can handle it. Gibbs."

Gibbs dropped his hand from Tony's arm and nodded. There wasn't any way he could force the younger man to talk when he didn't want to. He had to trust that Tony knew his own limitations. Aimee's life might depend on it. Gibbs narrowed his eyes and gave Tony one last paternal glance before turning away. He heard Tony heave a sigh of relief as he started the lift again. Gibbs had a foreboding feeling hovering in his gut. Any business opportunity Senior was interested in was either illegal or sketchy. Gibbs made a mental note to look into it. If Tony wasn't able to stand up for himself, Gibbs was prepared to stand in the gap.

"Okay then, let's go see Eve."

Tony's eyes widened. "Eve, Boss?"

Gibbs remained quiet as he faced the front of the lift. When the door opened, he strode out on a mission. He didn't feel the need to answer Tony about Eve. He knew Tony knew who she was.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Makayla chewed a hangnail on her thumb as she watched Abby dash around her lab. Music, better yet, sound pollution, blared in the room but she didn't hear the lyrics. Abby had asked if she minded the genre—heavy metal—and, maybe, under normal circumstances, Makayla might have objected but in the moment her head was too full to protest. Abby seemed less jittery when she had her music to keep her occupied. Makayla doodled on paper, feigning boredom so that Abby would leave her alone in her thoughts. Makayla knew Abby had lots to keep her busy with an NCIS case still looming large. Every once and a while, Abby would try to interest her in something she was doing but Makayla shrugged her off pretending to be disinterested. Luckily enough, Abby didn't seem to mind.

Makayla stared at her paper, not really seeing it but remembering her conversation with Aimee before the young girl had run off. Her conscience needled her when she thought of the lies she'd told Gibbs and her aunt. She said she'd organized the pantry but she hadn't. She fully intended to do it later because she felt she would owe that to Gibbs. The truth was she would own him a heck of lot more than a simple chore once everything was said and done. A part of her was terrified to face him. Gibbs was intense. And he intimidated her. But he was also her friend and in some ways, he seemed to understand her more than anyone else. She appreciated that about him.

Aimee had been the first to catch her in a lie, and Makayla had tried to clarify things but her plans sounded too weird. It wasn't that Aimee was going to rat on her or anything. She was fairly certain Aimee wasn't like that but still, she didn't want to take the chance of anyone finding out. Not before she could accomplish what she set out to do. When she'd found out her parents and sister would be away for an indiscernible amount of time, she knew it was the only opportunity she'd have to travel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was a four hour trip from DC. She figured she could do the whole round trip in one day. Her aunt would be angry with her but not like her parents would be, especially her father. She shivered at the thought of his disappointed face.

Makayla quickly discovered that Aimee had secrets of her own to keep. Aimee was more secretive than she but Makayla selfishly promised to keep Aimee's secret until she was gone. Guilt gnawed at her now as she replayed the scene over in her mind. Aimee's so-called friend had sounded gruff and mean, making Aimee look terrified. Tears burned in Makayla's eyes as she remembered telling Gibbs that she hadn't overheard much when the truth was she'd heard everything.

"I'm going to grab a Caf-Pow, Makayla. Do you want anything?" asked Abby, startling Makayla out of her reverie.

"No, I'm good."

Abby looked uncertain. "You promise you won't wander off while I'm gone? Gibbs was none too happy with me when you took your sweet time finding a bathroom…"

Makayla smirked. "Never takes much to make Gibbs grouchy."

Abby returned the smirk. "True, but with Aimee missing, we can hardly blame him."

Makayla nodded in agreement and her conscience chewed at her even more. Gibbs was beside himself with worry over Aimee. Adding to his worry was a crummy thing to do. She should come clean and tell him everything she knew. Biting her lip, Makayla grimaced feeling nearly sick to her stomach. She was being a self-centred brat and there was no excuse for it. Aimee could freeze or worse and she knew information that could help Gibbs find her.

Abby lifted a brow. "Are you okay, Makayla?"

Makayla swallowed. "Uh, yah, I'm okay, just thinking about Aimee. I'm worried about her, Abby."

Abby hugged Makayla making her feel even more horrible for keeping secrets and making her own schemes more important. The timing couldn't be worse but the diversion was perfect.

"We need to think positively. Close your eyes," Abby demanded.

Makayla looked at Abby from the corner of her eye like she'd lost her mind.

"Close your eyes!"

"Why?"

Abby put her hand over Makayla's eyes. "Imagine Aimee safe at home with Gibbs. Imagine she is curled up on his sofa, drinking hot chocolate and watching kid t.v."

Makayla wrinkled her nose.

"Are you imagining it?" asked Abby, closing her own eyes tightly as well.

Makayla sighed dramatically and played along. "Alright, I'm imagining…"

"Good! Can you see her?"

"Yes, I can see her."

"Okay, just hold her right there, Mackie." Abby removed her hand from Makayla's eyes and moved it to her chest. "Hide that hope in your heart."

Makayla held her hand over Abby's and tried to imagine it.

"We have immense power if we stay positive. God can work miracles but we need to believe in them."

Makayla nodded and was quiet for a moment before saying, "I wouldn't mind a hot chocolate."

Abby stared blankly at her for a second before breaking into a smile.

"That's the spirit, Girlfriend. I'll be back in 10 minutes. Do I need to tell you not to touch anything while I'm gone?"

Makayla cast a dirty look in Abby's direction.

Abby winked at her with a chuckle. "Just checking." With those words, the Goth disappeared from the room leaving Makayla alone with her thoughts.

Never before had Makayla felt more torn to shreds over a decision. She had to admit she was truly concerned and worried for Aimee. She'd only just met Aimee and Janessa and she'd fallen in love with them. She'd never had the privilege to have younger siblings, being he was the baby in her family. She'd really enjoyed staying with Gibbs and spending time with the younger girls. It had felt genuinely fun to be part of a large family, even if the weekend had been chaotic. Makayla stood up and found herself walking towards the door, but wringing her hands in despair at the same time. She hated feeling so unravelled.

Makayla peeked out the door and saw that the hallway was empty. It would be easy to escape down the stairs unseen by Abby, but it would be very difficult to get out of the building with security being so tight. Makayla secretly hoped Sundays were laidback. She'd already noticed that the building was devoid of people other than Gibbs' team. Perhaps, security personnel would be sparse as well.

Makayla swallowed hard and started walking briskly towards the stairwell, her heart hammering briskly in her chest. She grimaced as her conscience berated her.

"Stop feeling so guilty," she admonished herself out loud. "You promised Aimee you wouldn't tell on her. A promise is a promise."

Aimee had insisted that she needed to see her father. Makayla didn't know much about Aimee's father at all, and Aimee said she would keep her secret if she kept hers. They pinky promised and Makayla felt desperate. She felt like all her options were running out and she was going to be doomed to a life of endless monotony. Makayla continued towards the stairs, determined to do what she set out to do. She'd made a promise to herself as well. She wasn't going to allow people to push her around and tell her what to do. She didn't want to attend Xavier preparatory school like her sister. She wanted to attend the Fine Art Institute in New York affiliated with the Metropolitan Art Museum. This was her chance! Everyone was occupied searching for Aimee. She could slip away undetected.

"I need to do this," she mumbled to herself, working hard to push away her guilt.

So what if she'd lied to Agent Gibbs. She had told him more than she was sure Aimee wanted her to. That had to count for something, right? She was keeping her promise to Aimee. Keeping promises was important. Tears pricked her eyes as she pushed open the door to the fire escape. An unsettled, almost paralyzing guilt washed over her causing her breakfast to trundle dangerously in the pit of her stomach. Makayla took one last look towards Abby's lab, considering for a brief moment returning and forgetting her plans but the fleeting moment passed as quickly as it came. If she didn't go now, she'd give in to her all-consuming guilt and find Gibbs and tell him the whole truth. She couldn't do that. She couldn't risk losing her chance to go to New York. It was now or never. Letting the door close behind her, Makayla escaped up the stairs.


	14. Chapter 14

Gibbs scrubbed a shaky hand across his scruffy face. Another dead end. His attempt at getting Intel had turned up empty. It had been a long shot anyway. Eve had been his last ditch effort. Eve. He didn't even know her last name, but she'd promised to help him if he ever needed her. He'd done her a favour, saved her life in fact, and she always repaid her favours. She'd given him a card and told him to use it if he needed her. Of course, her idea of a favour wasn't his idea, much to her disappointment. Eve knew the comings and goings of the underground and was always glad to help him when she could. Knowing a child was involved had piqued her attention further but in the end, she'd no leads, no information, nothing whatsoever to help him. She promised to keep her eyes and ears to the ground and let him know if she heard anything. Gibbs wouldn't hold his breath. The underground was insidious. Eve needed to protect herself as well. Helping cops could get her targeted. He didn't want her blood on his hands either and he told her as much.

Gibbs returned to his car feeling more downtrodden and desperate than he'd felt in a long time. He didn't like feeling helpless and he was most definitely helpless now. He was no further ahead than he had been 24 hours ago. He had nothing! He got into the car and pounded the steering wheel in angry frustration. He'd had enough. He was going to talk face to face with Brody even if he had to break the son of a bitch out of prison to do it.

"Another dead end, Boss?"

Gibbs didn't respond but continued staring straight ahead, fuming and brooding and worrying.

"So, now what? What are we going to do now?"

"I want you to tell your father to go to hell," muttered Gibbs.

Tony's face paled, taken aback once more by Gibbs insistence on harping on the situation concerning Senior. "I said I would handle things, Gibbs."

Gibbs didn't look at him. "Yah, I know you did but there is no time like the present, DiNozzo."

Tony narrowed his eyes at his boss, understanding perfectly what Gibbs was up to. "I can take a hint, you know. I know you want me to leave but I'm not..."

"I want you to deal with your business!" snapped Gibbs.

"Forget it! Senior can wait. I'm not walking away so you can do something reckless. Aimee needs you in one piece."

Gibbs tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I am not asking your permission, DiNozzo. Get your ass out of my car. Call McGee and get him to pick you up. Go talk to your father and set him straight."

Tony stubbornly crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving you like this..."

"Like what?"

"You're out of your mind…"

Gibbs' hand shot out so fast that Tony never saw it coming until his head rocketed forward, nearly smacking into the dashboard.

Tony grimaced and cried out, grasping the back of his head to rub out the sting.

"I said I'm not asking."

Tony closed his eyes for a moment, biting his tongue to recover from the head smack. It stung more than usual. Gibbs wasn't fooling around in any sense of the word.

"Boss…"

Gibbs' phone rang loudly interrupting Tony's protest. Gibbs groaned and checked the number on the screen. He closed his eyes for a long-suffering moment, debating on if he would answer it. Jenny would only contact him if it was something important. She wasn't one to waste his time unlike Abby, who was known for calling him just to say hi or to tell him about her latest bowling score with the Sisters.

"Gibbs," he groused. If he was going to answer, he was going to let Jenn know he was in no mood for idle conversation.

"We can't find Makayla anywhere, Jethro. We've searched the building high and low. She's nowhere to be found." Gibb's eyes widened in concern. It wasn't very often he heard that frightened tone of Jenn's voice. Jenny Shephard was not one to be shaken easily. She was a rock under the worst of circumstances. Gibbs knew that feeling of helpless fear. Children pulled the rug out from under his feet as well.

"Calm down, Jenn. She couldn't have gone far. What the hell is going on? I thought she was with Abby."

"She took off. We've been searching the building and surrounding area for the past hour. She's vanished into thin air."

Gibbs rubbed his temple, his temper bubbling to the surface. Where would the teenager go? Would she be stupid enough to try and find Aimee herself? Or did she have her own self-centred agenda no one knew about? Gibbs didn't know. All he did know was the kid's timing couldn't have been worse. Just what he needed: another damned kid to worry about.

"Put out an APB and a BOLO on her. DiNozzo and I are on our way back to NCIS."

There was a long pause from the other end of the line. Gibbs knew that he didn't have to tell Jenny how to proceed. That wasn't what she needed from him right now. But he didn't think he could give her what she needed either because he had almost reached his own limits. He didn't have any answers, and he'd nearly surpassed being able to hold himself together in his worry about Aimee. He didn't think he had much more left to give.

"It's going to be okay, Jenn. Mak is an intelligent kid. She's not going to do anything stupid."

"I know she's a smart kid, but she's..." Jenny let the rest of the sentence hang in the air. The waver in her voice wasn't something he heard from her very often. Makayla's disappearance had shaken Jenny to her core. Stabbing pain rippled through Gibbs' stomach. The stupid kid had gotten under his skin as well and he fully planned to throttle her when he got his hands on her, no matter how much Jenny protested. "What do I say to Julia?"

"Nothing. Geez, Jenn, she's been gone for what? An hour? She couldn't have gone far…hell, she could be in the head…

"She's not in the damned bathroom, Jethro!" snapped Jenny.

Gibbs cringed. It was a stupid thing for him to say. Jenny wouldn't have called him if she hadn't already exhausted all her options first. "She couldn't have gotten far. Have McGee check the bus, train and airport…"

"He's already checked," she said dryly.

Gibbs grimaced and mentally kicked himself for putting his foot in his mouth. Jenny knew protocol as well as he did. Hell, she was the director of NCIS. He couldn't help himself. He took charge. It was just what he did. He was used to fixing things. He hated when he couldn't fix things. He knew he didn't need to tell her procedure. She wasn't looking for that.

"You don't need to tell Julia anything yet." His voice was soft. "I'm on my way, Jenn. We'll find her."

"I'm scared, Jethro." There it was. Jenn admitted it. She was being candid with him.

He nodded in response knowing she couldn't see it. He was scared too. Hell, he was petrified. His daughter had been missing for over 24 hours and he had clues whatsoever. And what was he doing about it? Sitting in his damned car trying to get his protégé to leave him alone so he could do something moronic. Gibbs tossed Tony an apologetic look and ran a hand through his silvery grey hair. He had known fear on many occasions in his life but there was no other fear quite like helpless fear.

"So, am I, Jenn," whispered Gibbs and he hung up, tossing his cell into the back seat. Jenny would forgive him. She would understand that he had nothing left.

"You, ok, Boss?" asked Tony, looking intently at him.

Gibbs shook his head. "No. No, I'm not."

Tony opened his mouth like he was going to say something but then closed it again and faced forward, staring out the front window. What could be said? There were no pleasantries that could be said to give relief. The situation couldn't even be classified on some kind of grade scale. Sometimes there were no words. Sometimes things were just that messed up.

Gibbs felt his heart squeeze tightly in his chest, almost taking his breath away. The fear was invading. He couldn't allow it to overpower him. Helpless did not mean hopeless. He started the ignition and drove.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Aimee shivered in the cold wind and hugged herself closely as she braved the brisk, early November weather. She pulled the black jacket closer to her body, trying not to feel guilty for taking it from the marine. She'd promised herself that she'd find a way to repay him for stealing it. Gibbs would be able to find the man. With all the high tech that MTAC had, it would be a cinch. She felt sure of it but her conscience still nagged at her. She kept her head down as she walked, hoping…wishing that whoever was going to come after her would get it over with. How long did she need to wait to be found? Brody had told her where to go…told her to get out in the open but she was freezing and she was hungry. A part of her wished she hadn't left the warmth of the room Riley had shared with her. But when Riley had fallen asleep, she'd forced herself to leave. It was the only way. The man had been kind to her, even to the point of sharing what little food he had. She'd listened to him ramble for a long time before he fell asleep. She hadn't understood much of what he'd told her. She kinda figured that he knew she wouldn't which was why he felt so safe talking to her. Aimee kept walking briskly with her head down lost in her own thoughts, not realizing that she'd walked out into the middle of an intersection. The sound of squealing tires startled her and she looked up to see a black car swerving to avoid hitting her. Aimee froze in terrified horror. Her eyes widened when she thought she recognized the driver. Gibbs? Had Gibbs found her? She crumbled to the ground, all but disappearing into the black jacket and trembling all over.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

"Look out for that kid!" shouted Tony.

His reflexes kicked in before Gibbs even had a chance to process what was happening. He caught sight of something and slammed on the breaks, swerving the car hard enough to spin it 180 degrees. The sound of squealing tires echoed in his ears and his heart leapt to his throat. What the hell was some kid doing in the middle of the road? The car came to a complete stop and before he could gain his wits about him, Tony bolted from the car towards the kid. Gibbs felt his blood run cold when he saw the child lying on the ground. Oh, Gawd! He hadn't hit the kid, had he?

Gibbs raced from the car and headed after Tony. He was completely taken by surprise when a figure came out of the shadows and jumped Tony from behind. A perpetrator of medium build and height, dressed in marine fatigues knocked Tony to the ground, rolling him over and throwing punches at his face. Gibbs felt for his weapon and ran towards them.

"Freeze!" shouted Gibbs, training his sidearm on the troublemaker.

The man stopped mid punch and looked up at Gibbs with a wild look in his eye.

"Put your hands up where I can see them!" ordered Gibbs firmly.

The guy lifted his hands over his head, palms out in a sign of surrender. "Don't shoot," he pleaded looking slightly taken aback.

Tony shoved the perp off him and got to his feet, knocking his attacker to the ground. Pulling out his own weapon, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared down at him. The guy's skin was hidden behind layers of grime and his hair hung as a greasy, tangled mop of brown but the familiar marine fatigues made him stand out. Gibbs stifled a gasp when he realised that the guy was not much more than a kid. How many more kids was he going to get mixed up with?

"Who are you and why the hell did you jump me?" demanded Tony, finding his voice and casting Gibbs a notable look of appreciation for having his back.

The young marine kept his hands up as he manoeuvered himself to his knees. "My name's Riley. I thought you'd hurt that kid…"

 _Damn it! The kid._ Distracted by the altercation, Gibbs had forgotten about the small child. He quickly scanned the area but came up empty. The kid must have run off during the scuffle. A measure of relief washed over him, knowing the youngster hadn't been injured too badly to take off on his or her own steam, or at least he hoped that was true. The last thing he needed was the guilt of hitting some little kid with his car.

"Is he yours?" asked Gibbs, pretty much knowing the answer before he asked. The young man in front of him wasn't much older than 18 if that.

The man shook his head. "She's a girl and no, but I rescued her from the street. She was half frozen to death."

The fine hairs on the back of Gibbs' neck stood on end _. A girl? Aimee._

"Blond girl? About 9 years old? Blue eyes?"

Riley licked his dry lips and nodded. Gibbs' eyes darkened dangerously. "What were you going to do with her?"

Riley scurried backward on his knees in an attempt to distance himself from Gibbs' menacing glare. "Nothing! I swear! I just wanted to help her. I gave her some food and was gonna take her to the police in the morning. I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up she was gone. I panicked when I saw you two guys after her." explained the marine, his words coming out in such a rush that much of it was garbled and blended together, making it difficult for Gibbs to make out.

Tony dropped his weapon to his side, pulling in a harsh breath as his heart rate settled once more. He exchanged a look with Gibbs.

"Do you think it was Aimee?"

Gibbs jaw tightened and nodded. "Maybe, yah."

Riley sat back on his haunches, his dark eyes filled with concern. "Who's Aimee?"

"DiNozzo, search the perimeter and call it in."

Tony tucked his sidearm away and walked over to stand beside Gibbs. His heart rate had returned to normal but his face ached from the punches thrown at him. Tony wiggled his jaw back and forth seeing if it was still intact.

"You okay?" asked Gibbs

Tony nodded and rushed off towards the side building, pulling out his phone.

Gibbs kept his gun trained on the young marine who by the looks of his tattered and filthy uniform was in enough trouble of his own. He was young…too damned young in Gibbs' opinion…more like a boy than a man. He eyed the kid sternly and used his free hand to pull out his ID. He flipped it open, displaying it for the kid to see. Riley seemed to wither, and he muttered something under his breath. It didn't take much for Gibbs to figure out all he needed to know about the kid. Whoever Riley was, he was definitely in some sort of trouble. Riley dropped his head to his chest as a defeated expression washed over him.

"How old are you, Private?" Gibbs' voice took on his former Gunnery Sergeant intonation. He noticed how the young man's head immediately jerked to attention.

"18, Sir." The teen rose to his feet slowly, his hands still up and palms forward, assuming a stance at attention. His eyes stared straight ahead and he set one hand on his brow to salute Gibbs.

Gibbs sucked in a harsh breath. His suspicions had been correct. The kid was barely of age, probably a hair's breadth out of high school. He dropped his weapon and replaced in its holster.

"At ease, Private." Riley dropped his hands to his side and made eye contact with Gibbs.

"You're NCIS, Sir?"

Gibbs nodded, continuing to stare the kid down. "You look like you're in some kind of trouble, Private."

"Yes, Sir, uh, I mean no, Sir." said the young man, dropping his dark eyes to his dirty shoes.

Gibbs nodded. It wasn't his business if the kid was AWOL or running away. He was willing to offer his help to any kid in need…even an enlisted one. He knew well that many kids were forced to enlist by overbearing fathers thinking their kids needed the discipline the military provided. While it might have been understandable, Gibbs didn't agree with it at all.

"Which is it, Private?"

The young marine squirmed under Gibbs' scrutiny.

Gibbs heaved a loud sigh. "Aimee is my daughter and she's in a lot of danger. Did she say anything to you? Anything at all that might help us find her?"

Riley shook his head. "She wouldn't tell me…I swear I was going to take her to the police in the morning, sir. I wasn't going to hurt her." The earnest look on Riley's face told Gibbs the young man was telling the truth.

"C'mon, I'll take you back to NCIS, and we'll see what we can do to get you some help. Whether you agree or not, you need it."

Riley took a few steps back. "No!"

Gibbs' hands went to his hips without thinking. "You look like you haven't had anything to eat in days, kid…"

"I'm not a kid! I'm a U.S marine, and I don't need your help!" Riley's eyes flashed in anger. Gibbs recognised the anger for what it was: fear. He'd seen that look on marine's faces before. Riley was afraid of someone or something.

"Relax, Riley," Gibbs softened his voice, his hard-assed sergeant gunnery impression melting away. "There are times in life when everyone needs a little help. There is no shame in it."

Gibbs glanced over the young marine's head to see Tony come out into the clearing. It was getting dark and Gibbs distance vision wasn't as good as it used to be but he saw his young agent shake his head. Whoever the little girl was, she was gone now. Any hope Gibbs had been clinging too faded away in an instant.

"I can't force you to come with me," began Gibbs, reaching into his pocket for his card and handing it to Riley. "If you change your mind, give me a call. I can't promise to make your troubles go away but I'm willing to help you if you need. Semper Fi."

Riley's eyes widened as he took the card and looked at it. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again. Gibbs nodded and as he returned to his car, he saw Riley disappear into the shadows once again. Tony returned to the car as well and both men got inside. Gibbs cell phone jumped to life in the back seat. As Gibbs began driving, Tony reached around and retrieved the phone, handing it to Gibbs.

"Gibbs."

"Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby's loud, overly excited voice blasted in his ear.

"What is it, Abbs?" Gibbs tried not to allow his displeasure with the Goth to carry out through in his voice. Part of him was irritated that Makayla had gone missing on her watch.

"McGee and I went back to your house and we found some notes in the garbage. It's Makayla's handwriting, Gibbs. We think she might be on her way to New York…"

Gibbs' mind whirled. Why would the teen girl run away to New York?


	15. Chapter 15

Riley leaned against the wall breathing heavily and shivering more from the close call with reality than from the cold. Just his luck to come across agents from NCIS. He was supposed to disappear not bring reinforcements. Gawd! How stupid could he get? The last thing he needed was NCIS sticking their nose in everything. His drill sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant James Adams, would kill him if he found out. Riley slid down the wall and sat on the cold ground. His legs were shaking now and he didn't think he could bear his own weight any longer. He rested his head in his hands just trying to stop trembling. He didn't even know what had possessed him to attack the dark-haired agent. He did it on instinct, without thinking. He'd been terrified thinking the little girl was in danger and he just wanted to help her…protect her. Living in the streets was tough enough and she was just a little kid. In his short time on the run, he'd figured out that most people couldn't be trusted.

Riley jumped to his feet all at once when he heard a loud noise beside him. He strained his eyes in the dimness of the alley, trying to ascertain what had made the sound. It was approaching dusk which made the side streets even darker and more ominous. Something darted quickly in the shadows setting Riley's teeth on edge. His survival instincts kicked in as he pressed his back hard against the wall. He wasn't going to allow himself to be taken off guard this time. Too many times, he'd been beaten just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Who's there?" he growled, making his voice sound deep and foreboding.

An empty metal noise rattled close by and then he thought he heard a whimper.

"I have a gun!" he hissed into the darkness. He didn't. He wished he did but his weapon had been stolen from him. But he was resilient. He'd been surviving on the streets since he sneaked off base several weeks ago. He was AWOL but in his mind, he had good reason. His choice had been clear. Stay and die or run and live. Pretty much a no-brainer in his mind. He'd just have to deal with the consequences of his choice later.

"R-riley?" came a small, quivering voice.

Riley spun around and strained his eyes into the dark shadows of the alley. He could just make out a small figure walking slowly towards him.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

"It's me, Riley. Don't shoot me, kay?"

Riley rubbed his eyes. "Jane?"

She choked back a quivering sob. "Yah."

Riley rushed forward and fell to his knees in front of her. He couldn't help himself. He'd felt responsible for the kid since the moment he laid eyes on her.

"Gawd, Jane, are you alright? Did that car hit you?" He grabbed her firmly and pulled her in for a hug. He berated himself as he held the trembling girl in his arms. He wasn't sure who was shaking more at the moment, him or her. What on earth was he doing? He didn't even know the kid and suddenly he was attached to her? He was definitely losing his mind. He pushed her away and shook her. "Why'd you run away from me?"

The small girl shuddered in his arms. "I'm s-sorry."

"It's too dangerous out here, kid. Don't take off like that!" He found himself alternating between scolding her, shaking her and hugging her.

The little girl kept crying and Riley cursed several times out loud. Now, what was he supposed to do? He was having a hard enough time taking care of himself and now he had an Agent's kid? He thought he was dead meat before, now he'd be tortured dead meat.

"It's okay," he said, willing himself to stay calm. He heard a slight quiver in his voice and pulled in a harsh breath to fight for control. Freaking out and losing control now wouldn't help either of them. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper. You're okay, kid. C'mon, stop crying. You hungry?"

The child nodded, still crying and quivering in his arms.

"Okay. You're okay, kid."

Riley scooped the kid up in his arms and started walking. He needed to get back to shelter before nightfall. The temperature was falling fast and neither one of them were dressed warm enough to survive the elements.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Aimee wrapped her arms around herself and hid her face in her knees. She couldn't stop shivering and shaking. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the car careening towards her. She saw Gibbs' face plain and clear and his shell-shocked expression haunted her.

"Here, kid." Aimee jumped, startled by Riley's voice as he came close and thrust something towards her. Aimee blinked back tears and accepted the food he offered. "It's not healthy by any stretch of the imagination but it's food." Aimee's hands trembled as she shoved the candy bar into her mouth. She was hungrier than she thought possible.

"Thirsty?"

She nodded. Riley handed her a soft drink. "T-thanks," she managed between sniffles, trying to chew and swallow the food. She took a greedy sip of the fizzy beverage and choked on it. It was cold and the carbonation burned her throat.

"Slow down, Aimee."

Aimee's eyes widened and her head bolted up. How did he know her name?

"That is your name, isn't it? Damn, kid, was that guy the one who gave you those bruises on your face? Is that why you ran away?"

Aimee blinked back more tears. She'd forgotten about her scraped up face from her excursion across Gibbs roof.

"He said he's your father. Is that true?"

Aimee licked her lips but still didn't answer him.

Riley scooped her up and set her on a table in the room, invading her personal bubble. He gave her a steely glare. _Geez, did all marines take a course in glaring at people,_ she thought? Aimee attempted to avoid eye contact with the man by staring at her surroundings. Riley had taken her into an abandoned building this time. It looked like they were in someone's old deserted apartment.

Riley cupped her chin roughly. "Look, kid, you need to start talking. I can't help you if you won't tell me what's going on."

"I don't need your help!" Aimee snapped, yanking her face from his grasp and trying to slip off the table.

Riley held her tightly, refusing to let her move out from under his grasp. "The hell you don't! That car could have hit and killed you! If that guy is your father then why the hell did you run away from him? He's a friggin NCIS agent for Pete's sake!" Aimee blinked back tears that blurred her vision.

"Lemme go!" she shouted. "I don't have to tell you anything!"

Riley groaned and shook her fiercely enough to make her teeth rattle. "Cut the crap, kid! What are you? Like 8 years old? You do need help, and if you don't talk to me then I'm calling the police! Or better yet, that agent gave me his card. I'll call him and you can deal with him yourself!"

Aimee choked back a sob. "No! Please! Don't do that!"

Riley stared at her severely. "Give me one reason not to."

Aimee grimaced. She couldn't tell him the truth. It was too dangerous. She needed to get back out into the open as soon as possible or it could be too late.

"You just can't, okay? Please, don't call him."

Riley glared at her and pulled away, drawing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly.

"Geez, kid, as if I didn't have enough problems," he mumbled under his breath. "Damn it!" Riley pounded his fist into a nearby wall putting a huge hole in it. Aimee shrank away and further dissolved into sobs.

"I'm s-sorry," she wailed. Riley was beginning to frighten her now.

Riley's hands went to his hips and he partially stooped over as he closed his eyes. Aimee shivered. She didn't know if she felt any safer being with the marine or not. Riley seemed nice but he was also scaring her. In her short years, she learned to trust military people. She had spent her whole life around them and most of them had integrity and honour but her step-father, Jonathan, had taught her an unforgettable lesson: not everyone was trustworthy.

"I-I need to leave…"

Riley glared at her. "Kid, you wouldn't survive another night out there in that cold. You're staying put! Now, shut up! I need to think."

Aimee felt her temper increase. She slid off the table Riley had planted her on and searched for the exit in the dimness of the room. Light poured in under a door and she ran towards it. She grabbed the handle and reefed the door open in an attempt to escape.

"Oh, hell, kid!" shouted Riley, rushing after her and grabbing her around the waist.

Aimee started to punch him with her fists. "Lemme go! Lemme go!"

Riley managed to subdue her, pinning her arms to her sides as he embraced her against his chest. Aimee flailed in his arms, kicking and screaming and punching at him wildly. She had to get away from him.

"Aimee, for Pete's sake, knock it off! You can't leave! It's too damned cold and you don't even have a coat! You're lucky you didn't freeze to death in the first place." Riley tightened his grip on her. "Now, STOP fighting me!" He squeezed her tight enough to take her breath away and Aimee cried out in pain.

"OW!" she cried and dissolved into tears again.

Riley released her, looking concerned. Aimee tumbled to the floor and looked up at him fearfully. He was strong. Really strong. Marine strong.

"I need to leave or people will die and it will be my fault! I don't want my sister to get hurt. He said he'd kill her like Sarah." Aimee's mind flashed images of her baby sister torn apart in front of her eyes. Brody said he'd kill Janessa and everyone she loved.

Riley narrowed his eyes at her. "Who said that?"

Aimee kept sobbing and trembling as she sat on the cold floor. As much as she wanted to answer him, she couldn't. She couldn't make him understand. There was no point. No one would understand.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Makayla used the spare key from the planted pot outside the patio to open the door. For being a government agent, her aunt was more cliché than she'd expected. When she'd first arrived at the house, she'd sat in the gazebo in the backyard, trying to weigh her options. She needed a plan and she knew as soon as people discovered she was missing, they'd be checking everywhere for her. She figured no one would suspect that she'd go to her aunt's house. At least not right away. She expected they'd check her own house first before her aunt's. It had only just dawned on her to check for a spare key. Finding the key in the potted pink mum had been a positive long shot.

Makayla heaved a relieved sigh as she entered the house, closing the door behind her. It felt good to be somewhere familiar. Being on the run was bewildering to her even though she'd only been gone for a couple of hours at most. Causing trouble wasn't the norm for her. She wasn't used to being the centre of attention. That was her sister's MO. Makayla was the quiet, obedient child, and she liked it that way. It took a lot out of her to stand up for herself and knowing her aunt would be angry with her wasn't making her feel very good at all. Walking from the kitchen into the front entrance, she beelined for the stairs. She needed to pack a bag and grab some cash quickly before she changed her mind. She'd already been having an intensive internal battle inside her since she'd left. She was a nervous wreck. As she reached the foot of the steps and began her way up them, she was alarmed to hear a familiar voice coming from behind her.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Makayla's blood ran cold as she turned to see Agent Gibbs staring up at her. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn her heart stopped beating. She gulped when she saw the angry disappointment burning in his eyes. She sucked on her bottom lip but didn't say anything. She just stared at him wide-eyed as he started walking up the steps towards her. Makayla instinctively took a few steps away from him. Gibbs had a way of intimidating her under normal circumstances. The irate look on his face now made self-preservation her first instinct.

"You pick now to take off? Have you lost your mind?" seethed Gibbs, continuing his ascent towards her. "We've been searching everywhere for you!"

Makayla gulped and held out her hands to hold him off, all while continuing to walk up the stairs. Gibbs hit her with a steely glare harsh enough to make Makayla inhale a sharp intake of air. Her heart was pounding in her chest and all the colour drained from her face. She was definitely not used to being in this kind of trouble and she didn't like it at all.

"Jenn is going insane wondering where you went!" he snapped. "Just what the hell was so important about New York that you needed to go there now, of all times?" Gibbs narrowed his eyes at her and pounded his fist on the handrail but kept walking menacingly towards her.

Makayla convulsively swallowed while freezing misstep, trying to weigh her options. How did he know her plans? She hadn't confided in anyone. Her eyes darted to the area on either side of the wide stairway. Maybe she could dart past him and escape unscathed. Her heart was hammering so loudly she was certain Gibbs could hear it.

She opened her mouth, trying to find her voice. "I, um, just wanted to find out about…" she tripped over her words as Gibbs kept walking towards her. She fought against her fight or flight instinct as he drew closer, looking, even more, intimidating up close. "I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs. I just needed to…" she stopped talking as he became motionless a few steps below her, raising his hand to forestall her words.

"There is nothing you can say right now that will make this right." His voice was alarmingly quiet this time. "I don't have the time for this nonsense! I need to find Aimee not chase after some self-centred teenager. Damn it, Mak, I thought you were better than this!"

"But…" she began.

Gibbs waved his hand at her. "No! This is where you to zip it, alright? I'm so pissed right now that I'm not sure I can control what I might do if you press me further." A vein in the side of his head was pulsing as he clenched his jaw. "Get your butt in the car NOW! We're going back to NCIS!"

Makayla swallowed and looked past him to the front door. Gibbs took a step back until he was leaning against the railing sideways and pointed down the steps. She tentatively took a few steps towards him, keeping eye contact with him. She kept walking, pressing herself against the other side of the stairs as far away from him as she could. She stopped when she was on the same step and faced him. Tears shimmered in her eyes.

"It was my only chance, Agent Gibbs." She tried to plead with him. "Please understand…"

Gibbs' eyes darkened. "You made me a promise, Mak. You may not keep your promises but you're about to discover that I do!" Gibbs reached out and grasped her firmly by the forearm. Makayla sucked in a deep breath and grimaced at how tightly he was holding her. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she tried unsuccessfully to free her arm from his grip. "Move it, NOW!"

Makayla blinked quickly, brushing tears from her eyes as she took a tentative step down and was escorted quickly the rest of way by Gibbs. Once on the main floor, he twisted her around so she was facing him. His grip on her arm hurt.

"Taking off like this wastes valuable time and resources that could be used to help find Aimee. McGee has been checking the bus, train stations and airports looking for you! Abby's been calling everyone your aunt could think of trying to find you." Gibbs' voice became even quieter, dangerously so. "I thought maybe you'd taken it into your head to try and find Aimee on your own. That idea was frightening enough and maybe even redeemable but you using these circumstances for your own selfish agenda…" Gibbs' face reddened further as his voice trailed off, seeming to lose all ability to finish a coherent thought. Makayla's stomach churned with fear mixed with deep-seated guilt. Had she jeopardized Aimee's safety? She did feel ashamed of herself but she'd forced herself to push common sense away. Convincing herself to follow through and stand up for her own convictions had been hard enough. She had planned for it for such a long time and Aimee's predicament sucked big time but it wasn't her fault. But on the other hand, she couldn't deny anything Gibbs was saying. Her timing was terrible and hurtful. She'd known it was selfish but she convinced herself it was her only chance. She knew Gibbs had every right to be angry with her but she still didn't want to let herself regret it. Gibbs didn't understand her side. How could he? No one did.

Makayla held out a trembling hand. "It's not like that…I didn't mean to…" Makayla stumbled finding the right words to explain herself as Gibbs continued glaring at her with anger. His unnerving glower was making it impossible for her to calm herself enough to think straight.

Gibbs dropped his hands to his side and stood to stare at her. The silence permeating the room was probably the loudest she'd ever heard. Finally, Makayla couldn't take the pressure any longer and she broke down into sobs, covering her face with her hands.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs scrubbed a shaky hand across his face when he saw the young teen girl dissolve into sobs. He forced himself to inhale and exhale deeply so he would calm down. He needed to dial his anger back and remember that Makayla was just a kid, not some criminal he was interrogating. He was so caught up in his own distress that he'd probably overreacted. Not probably. By the looks of Makayla's reaction, he'd definitely overplayed things. He reached out and pulled the girls trembling hands away from her face, stroking her cheek gently.

"Hey, kiddo, it's gonna be okay," he said softly, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"I'm s-sorry," she sobbed into his chest, "I didn't think…" The rest of her words were muffled into his shirt as he ran a hand through her long auburn hair.

His rested his chin on the top of her head. "Exactly, kid. You didn't think." His words were soft but impacting. He felt Makayla shuddering against his chest. He'd learned a lot about her since he'd known her. He knew Makayla didn't like conflict or confrontation. She wasn't used to it, and she struggled to maintain her composure under scrutiny. If he expected to get anywhere with her, he needed to dial himself way back, and speak much more gently. It wouldn't take much to break her down and that wasn't his intention.

Gibbs pulled away and cupped her chin in his hands. "I don't think I need to tell you how much trouble you're in, Makayla." The girl swallowed convulsively and shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "How about we take a moment to regroup? Okay?" He nodded towards the front sitting room to the right of the steps. Makayla sniffled and pulled away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her red-rimmed eyes looked at him nervously. "What's gonna happen now?"

Gibbs didn't answer but put a hand on the small of her back and with a firm push, escorted her towards Jenny's front room. He pointed at the nearby sofa chair and Makayla sat down. Gibbs pulled out his phone and dialled. First things first, he needed to let Jenn know Makayla was alright, and he needed some direction as to what to do next. Makayla wasn't his. He had no authority over her. He had his own ideas but without Jenn's permission, he wouldn't do anything. Gibbs listened as his cell phone rang and was glad when Jenny picked up on the second ring.

"Jenn, I've got Mak."

"Is she okay? Where is she?" Jenn's voice was a mixture of relief and anger.

Gibbs explained the situation and Jenny listened without comment. Her silence was disconcerting. A quiet Jenny Shepard was never a good thing. He narrowed his eyes trying to figure out what she was thinking and then covered the mouthpiece for a second as he spoke to the teen girl sitting anxiously looking up at him, "Stay put while I chat a minute with your aunt privately." Makayla nodded without a word. Gibbs tapped her firmly on the top of her head. "I'm serious here, Mak. Don't move from this room!"

The girl bit down on her lip. "I won't."

Gibbs hesitated a moment before slipping out into the hallway and shutting the door. At first, he thought he'd move down the hallway to speak more privately but decided against it. Makayla looked spooked and he wouldn't put it past her to take off again. He didn't need that hassle.

"How do you want me to handle this, Jenn?" He kept his voice low and even.

His question was met with silence.

"Jenn?"

A soft sob was heard, crushing him. He knew how she felt yet he didn't want to acknowledge it.

"Jenn?"

"I'm sorry, Jethro. She's really okay, right…I mean, gawd, what was she thinking taking off like that? I shudder to imagine what could have happened to her if she'd managed to make it to New York…"

"Jenn, she's safe. I don't think either one of us knows the whole story behind this. Maybe she has a good reason; I don't know, but the question remains, how do you want me to handle this?"

He was met with more silence before she finally whispered, "I don't know, Jethro."

Gibbs ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know either. "Anything on Aimee?" He knew it was pointless asking. He already knew the answer but a small part of him was not past looking for a miracle.

"Nothing yet…" Her voice trailed off.

Gibbs grimaced. Each minute that ticked by, each hour that disappeared without a lead meant they were one step closer to a cold case. His clenched his jaw tightly as he made himself swallow his emotions. Now wasn't the time for him to lose his edge. He needed to keep going.

"Jenn, what do you want me to do? I can bring Mak to you if you want but you can't just let this slide."

"I know. Maybe I should just call Julia…she should handle this. She's her mother, for crying out loud…"

Gibbs groaned. "I think Julia is the problem! That kid doesn't want to be some famous scientist brainiac, Jenn! She wants to draw and no one's listening to her. What's the kid supposed to do? Just suck it up? It's her life! What is it with parents today? Why can't kids just be kids and discover who they are without meddling interference? What's a matter with being a Picasso instead of an inventor? I'm telling you, Jenn, that kid's gifted and she's passionate about it."

Gibbs heard Jenn sigh. "Taking off to God knows where without telling anyone doesn't have anything to do with that, Jethro!"

"It has everything to do with it! New York has some of the largest art galleries and schools in the US. She's not a stupid kid. Jenn, if she can't get what she wants legitimately, then she's going to seek out other ways to get it. How can we blame her for that? I'm not sure I can."

"So, what am I supposed to do now?"

"The ball is in your court, Jenn."

Jenn heaved another sigh. "Damn it. I hate this…"

Gibbs waited for Jenny to decide. Her breathing was accelerated and he knew it was because she felt out of her element. He swallowed slowly, deciding he'd take the lead. It was what he was good at and he was getting tired of the waffling. It wasn't good for any of them. "I could bring her back to NCIS and let you handle it…" he suggested, "Or I can handle it here."

"Jethro…"

"Do you trust me, Jenn?"

"Jethro," she tried again but he cut off her conjecture.

"I'm serious. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have allowed Makayla to stay with you if I didn't trust you, but…"

Gibbs cut her off briskly. "NO buts, Jenn. Either you do or you don't. Which is it?"

Jenn was quiet for a minute…a long minute… which made Gibbs reconsider his own choices and notions. Just how well did he know Makayla? How well did he read her?

"I trust you." Her voice was stronger now, more confident.

"Okay. I'll be back to NCIS soon." Gibbs waited for several seconds to see if Jenny would protest or try to say something else but she didn't. He ended the call, dropping the phone back into his pocket.

 _ **A/N I think Gibbs has reached the end of his rope with Makayla. He's tired, fed-up and up to his ears in teenage drama. Boy, do I ever know the feeling! I could use a very long vacation to a warm Carribean Island sans kids, especially teen girls! Someone make me a tea, please?**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N Thanks for the reviews. To the guest who asked about the black jacket...you are very perceptive :) Read on to find out what happened to it.**_

 _ **Gibbs is an intuitive person. I think we can all agree with that. I believe Gibbs wouldn't be one to just punish a child without having a clear message in mind to impart. Yes, he's irritated about Makayla running away but I believe he's trying to get to the root of why she feels the need to run away. All that said to give you fair warning; there will be a fictional teenager disciplined by a fictional adult in this chapter.**_

Makayla's heart thumped hard as she strained to hear the discussion outside the door. Her mind was imagining the worst as the muffled conversation lasted longer than she'd anticipated. Anytime adults spoke for that length of time, things didn't bode well, at least from her experience anyway. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton as she thought about what might happen now. The worst in her mind would be her aunt summoning her parents' home from Europe early. Her father would be beyond furious, and her mother would take away every privilege she had, including her coveted art classes. She'd already been warned before to give up her ridiculous idea of being an artist. Any chance of realising her dreams would be shattered. How could she have been so stupid?

Makayla stood to her feet when Gibbs returned. The man looked considerably less angry and she was thankful for that. When he'd first approached her, she'd actually felt like vomiting on the spot. Gibbs could be downright terrifying when he wanted to be.

"Is she mad?" whispered Makayla, breaking the silence first.

"What do you think?" he asked, sitting across from her on the brown leather sofa.

"Is she gonna call my mom?"

Gibbs shook his head, eying her closely. "No, that wouldn't solve anything, and I suspect it would only serve to make things worse for you in the long run, wouldn't it?"

Makayla nodded, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Gibbs motioned to the chair beside him. "Take a seat, Mak."

Makayla inhaled deeply, puffing the air from her cheeks quietly. She really wished the ground would swallow her up. The last thing she wanted to do was explain but she nodded in resignation and sat down in the large butterfly chair behind her.

"Now, tell me what 's going on."

"You won't understand, Agent Gibbs."

"Try me." He shot her a look that told Makayla that his patience was wearing thin.

Makayla took a long, deep breath and did her best to explain about the Fine Art School in New York. It really was a long story, and she didn't think she'd be able to make any of it make sense but she told it anyway. Gibbs for his part didn't interrupt except with a question or two for clarification. When she was finished, she dropped her chin to her chest. After explaining everything out loud, she felt like a complete imbecile. It was suddenly very easy for her to see that she had screwed up big time. No excuse in the world would make it any better. Her decision had been senseless and her timing even worse.

Gibbs sat quietly for a moment before standing to his feet. Makayla wrung her hands nervously, tears threatening to avalanche down her cheeks at any given moment. Gibbs walked towards her and stood directly in front of her.

"I think you've figured out already how dumb this scheme of yours was, huh?"

Makayla's bottom lip quivered but she remained silent, tears were flowing in a steady stream down her cheeks.

"C'mere," he said, pulling her up into a hug. "It'd be a lot easier to stay mad at you if you didn't look so damned pathetic," Gibbs chuckled softly.

Makayla choked back a sob, not really seeing the humour. Every part of her was freaking out at all the trouble she was in, probably more than she'd ever been in her life. But a part of her still felt justifiably defiant. Getting caught meant she hadn't accomplished anything she set out to do. Her body tensed up against Gibbs. That thought frustrated her to no end. She was still stuck in the same rut and she hated it!

Gibbs sighed. "This isn't over with you, is it?"

Makayla didn't respond.

Gibbs rubbed circles on her back. "See, I think that, in as much as you're sorry for your actions, you're still not going to change your mind. And if I was a betting man, I'd wager that you'd consider trying something like this again."

Makayla pulled away and tucked her hair behind her ears but refused to look at him. She stuck her hands in her pocket and took a few steps away from him. He was right but she wasn't going to admit it. She wasn't going to deny it either. There was no use adding lying to her list of offences.

Gibbs put his hands on his hips. "You're a great kid, Makayla. You've got a good head on your shoulders. I think you can come up with other ways to self-advocate."

She sniffled and shook her head adamantly. "No. No, I can't. My mom doesn't listen to me, Agent Gibbs. She gives me no other choice."

Gibbs pointed a finger towards her. "See, that's where you're wrong. You always have a choice. No one is holding a gun to your head," he stated firmly, and then he poked her chest. "The decision is _entirely_ yours to make. You can choose to do the right thing, and you and I both know that running away is NOT the right thing, is it?"

Makayla looked into Gibbs' cobalt blue eyes, tears blurring her vision. The place where he'd poked burned but not because he'd hurt her. It was her conscience eating away at her, making her bottom lip quiver in response. She shrugged her shoulders. She would never be able to make Gibbs understand. There was no point in even trying.

"Is it?" he prompted again, his voice a little louder casing her to startle.

Pent-up anger in Makayla suddenly exploded, surprising both of them. "Running away might not be the right thing to do, Agent Gibbs, but I have no other choice. No one listens. What else am I supposed to do? Huh? Don't you get it? My mom is forcing me to do this. She won't listen to me! It's her fault and as soon as I can, I'm leaving. I'm going to New York and you can't stop me." Her voice held an air of belligerent confidence completely shocking her. Makayla hadn't realised she'd had it in her to speak up for herself like that, and for a fleeting moment, she felt vindicated.

Gibbs nodded calmly. "Okay, then _you_ give me no other choice."

Makayla's heart skipped a beat, her bravado fading away as quickly as it had come. "What do you mean?"

Gibbs reached for her arm and pulled her towards the nearby leather sofa. He sat down and pinned her between his knees.

"Do you remember your promise to me?"

Makayla looked away. She remembered only too well.

Gibbs reached up and cupped her cheek with his warm hand, forcing her to look at him. "You promised me you wouldn't run away. I told you how I felt about it, Mak. You have no idea what it does to a parent when they don't know where their kid is!"

"I'm not a kid!" she mumbled angrily. "And you're not my parent." She returned one of his glares. She'd learned from the best.

Gibbs' narrowed eyes told her she was pressing her already fleeting luck with him. "I may not be your father but I thought we were friends. I care about you, Makayla, and the last time I checked you were 13 years old so yah, you're a kid! "

"I'm 14!" She snapped, ignoring his comment about caring about her.

"Makayla!" Gibbs growled. Exasperation could be heard in his voice. "If you can't use your head to make the right choice then I'm going to give you some motivation to do it, catch my drift here?"

Tears flooded Mikayla's eyes once again and her heart hammered fiercely in her chest. She wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what Gibbs meant and she shivered at the thought. The look on Gibbs' face was so resolute and determined that it was making her panic. If she ever regretted speaking her mind, she did now. Gibbs wasn't someone to be messed with. Makayla tried to free herself but her effort was useless. Gibbs wasn't letting her go anytime soon.

"You're not my friend!" Makayla said with an air of defiance, her last ditch effort to wound him. "I don't even like you! Lemme go!" As soon as the words tumbled from her lips, she regretted them. Gibbs had been nothing but kind to her. He was the only one who had made an effort to listen to her. He had been more of a friend to her than anyone.

Gibbs was unfazed. "Well, your aunt is my friend, and I just listened to her sobbing on the phone because she was so afraid for you! I warned you I wouldn't allow you to disrespect your aunt."

"I didn't…" argued Makayla, feeling desperate and trapped.

"You did! You made a conscious choice to take off without telling her where you were going. Disregarding her feelings is the ultimate form of disrespect." Makayla licked her dry lips as more tears traced the path down her cheeks. Gibbs continued, giving her a stern shake. "Running away is never an option and if you can't see that then you and I have a problem." He pinned her with one last firm glare and before Makayla could respond further, he flipped her across his knee.

Taken aback, Makayla sucked in an astonished breath. "Agent Gibbs, please don't do this!" She tried to push herself off his lap but he held her tightly and pulled her waist in closer to him making it difficult for her to move. Time seemed to stop dead when she felt the first crashing blow land in the middle of her jean-clad backside. It took several seconds for her brain to catch up with the sound and then her entire bottom was set ablaze but Gibbs didn't stop with one swat. He landed five more searing swats in the same spot that took her breath away.

"Stop…p-please, stop…" she yelped, gasping for breath.

"You won't listen to me, Mak. _You_ give me no other choice!" he said firmly but he did stop and rested his hand on her lower back. The running away set aside, Gibbs had a message he was trying to impart. He was willing to slow things down so she could clearly see and understand the point he was making.

Makayla struggled to get away but he held her tightly to his waist. Her mind whirled trying to find a way to escape her predicament. If the few swats he'd given her were any indication of what was to come, things were about to get really bad.

"Lemme go…." She whimpered, kicking her legs trying to get free.

Gibbs readjusted her, pinned her legs under his and delivered five more stinging swats that just happened to land in the same spot as the others. Makayla yelped in pain feeling completely trapped.

"I'm sorry." she whimpered, deciding to try another tactic. Struggling to get free wasn't working. Maybe being apologetic would. "I'm sorry, Agent Gibb. I'm s-sorry. Please stop."

Gibbs stopped again, granting her a reprieve as he spoke. "Sorry isn't good enough. I've tried to talk to you, Mak. You don't listen so you've given me no other choice."

Through her pain and tears, Makayla began to feel frustrated. Why did he keep saying that? He lifted his hand from her back once more and landed another five blistering swats, even more, painful than the last. Makayla shrieked. It was really hurting now. She bit down hard on her lip, trying to think of a way, _anyway_ , to make him stop. He wasn't giving her any indication that he was anywhere near finished and that thought was actually terrifying to her.

Suddenly it dawned on her. He said _she_ hadn't given him any other choice. That made no sense! He'd just finished telling her that people made their own choices. Now he was saying just the opposite. She wasn't forcing him to do this. He was doing it to her. This was his choice, not hers.

She wiped at her tears and craned her neck to look at him. "You're such a hypocrite." She shouted at him and then stiffened expecting another swat. None came. Instead, she was lifted to her feet once again and found herself staring into Gibbs stern blue eyes.

"Why did you say that?" he asked looking up at her, his face deadpan but his voice soft.

Makayla stood weeping and trembling wanting desperately to rub the aching sting out of her backside. Gibbs held her tightly to her hands.

"Why did you call me a hypocrite?"

Blinking back fresh tears, Makayla choked back a shuddering sob. She was unsteady and finding it difficult to recover from Gibbs demonstration of authority. "B-because. Y-you said we make our own choices." She choked again, gasping for breath and finding it difficult to speak.

Gibbs rubbed her hands with his thumbs. "Take a minute to calm down."

Makayla nodded, closing her mouth and sniffling, forcing herself to take a deep breath through her nose to slow her breathing down. The action served to help her calm down.

Gibbs smiled at her. "So, you were listening. I'm glad to hear that." Makayla worried her lip and nodded. Perspiration mixed with tears marred her face. "You're right, I did say that."

"Then, w-why? Why did you…" Makayla pulled her hands away and this time Gibbs let her. She covered her face and dissolved into sobs once more. She felt completely humiliated. Her butt was on fire and she couldn't stop sobbing.

Gibbs pulled her into a hug. He held her securely for a few moments before he spoke again. As much as Makayla wanted to hate him and shove him away, she found herself melting into his embrace.

"I was making a point, Mak." He stroked her clammy head gently. "I did make a choice and you didn't force me to make it. I decided to spank you. Me alone. I could have decided to do anything else but I didn't. Just like you choose to run away rather than make another choice. You could have picked another way to assert yourself but you didn't. You made a choice. Get what I'm saying here?"

Makayla stopped sobbing and sucked in a deep, haggard breath, resting her cheek against his chest. She took a few moments to think about what he was saying. It did make sense. She did understand what he was getting at. She didn't have to run away. There were other ways to get what she wanted, and she had a sneaking suspicion that she had a sympathetic friend in Gibbs. Maybe, just maybe if she confided in him, he would be able to help. Suddenly she felt like she had a huge weight taken off her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked, giving her a gentle squeeze and pulling away to look at her.

She sniffled and nodded. "It hurt." A lot!

His face was deadpan. "Your choice hurt too, do you see that now?"

Makayla shuddered and nodded but remained silent as she looked at him sheepishly.

He gave her a sharp look. "I'd hate to think I'm going to need to repeat this."

Makayla's eyes widened and shook her head quickly. "Don't worry, you won't!" There was no way she planned to mess with him again. She'd rather have him on her side.

"Good." Gibbs looked at his watch and rose to his feet. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said, "C'mon, let's head back to NCIS. I've got a room full of boxes that need to be moved into storage. That ought to keep you busy and out of trouble."

Makayla grimaced and heaved a sigh. It had already been a long day and it sounded like it was about to get a lot longer.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

"Where did this come from?" asked Gibbs, holding up the black jacket that he'd found resting on his desk. He'd returned to NCIS a half hour ago and had left Makayla with Jenn. He figured they needed some time alone to talk and he needed some space to clear his head. He was relieved that at least one of the girls had been found safe. He hoped that his conversation with Makayla would help ensure that she wouldn't be a worry to them anymore. He had seriously reached his limit.

"It was at the scene, Boss. I grabbed it and tossed it into the back of the car. Thought maybe we could use it to help us find out more about that kid," said Tony, looking up from his desk. Gibbs saw the black circles under Tony's eyes which only served to remind him about his concern for the younger man. He had a bone to pick with DiNozzo Senior. He made a mental note to speak with the creep so he could figure out the root of things.

"Where'd ya find it?"

"On the ground where she fell. Should I take it to Abby?"

Gibbs looked at the jacket a moment and nodded his head. Abby would be able to see if it had any DNA on it that might be able to tell him if it had been Aimee or not. He walked across the bullpen and went to hand it to Tony when something dropped out of the pocket. He reached down and picked up a folded piece of paper.

"What is it, Boss?" asked Tony grabbing the jacket and standing to his feet.

Gibbs opened the paper and quickly skimmed it. "Looks like note to the marine, Riley. Must be his jacket." Gibbs folded the paper up and stuck it in his pocket.

"What's it say?"

Gibbs grimaced. "It addressed to you, DiNozzo?"

"No…"

"Then it must be none of your business."

Tony didn't say anything but made a show of rolling his eyes and headed towards the elevator with the jacket.

Gibbs returned to his desk and sat down again, pulling out the letter. He cringed when he quickly skimmed it over. By the looks of things, Riley had a rough life. The note was from someone named Roy Janssen and it wasn't a kind one. The letter existed solely to rip the young marine to ribbons, basically tearing him down in every way imaginable. Why in the blazes would anyone keep such a letter? It was demeaning and derogatory and just downright nasty. Gibbs strained his eyes as he browsed the sloppily handwritten note and then flipped it over. He arched a troubled brow as he read the signature at the end of the note. _Dad_? It was signed _dad_? What the hell? The older Gibbs got, the more he came to the realization that of all mammals, humans were the most abhorrent. Any imbecile could father a child but it took a real man to be a dad. He'd already lost one child and now he was facing losing another. He wasn't sure he had it in him to crawl out of another abyss.

"Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked up to see McGee looking intently at him. The younger man was dressed in a tweed jacket complete with the patches on the shoulders. "How are you holding up?"

Gibbs folded up the letter he'd been reading and shoved it in his desk. "I thought you were attending some kind of writing thing, McGee." Gibbs was always good at ignoring questions regarding his feeling. And how could he answer that question? Of course, he wasn't okay. He would never be okay until they found Aimee. Not knowing was eating him alive. But he was their team leader, the one everyone depended on. He needed to remain in control so they did.

McGee shook his head. "I was but I couldn't concentrate with everything that's going on. I thought I might be of some use here."

Gibbs chiselled jaw clenched subconsciously. His team were good people. Every single one of them. Frankly, they weren't just a team, they were family. Family was more than just DNA. How many times had he said that?

"Thanks, McGee."

McGee managed a small, hesitant smile and then looked at Gibbs expectantly.

Gibbs was silent a moment. "Find everything you can on a Private Riley Janssen."

"Boss?"

"It's a long story but we may have a lead on where Aimee might be, or at the very least who's she with. I'm heading down to the lab. Let me know what you come up with."

McGee headed to his desk, pulling off his jacket and hanging it on the hook. "On it, Boss."

Music to his ears, thought Gibbs. He headed towards the elevator mulling over the note about Riley. Something about the young marine gnawed at him.


	17. Chapter 17

Riley sat in the cold room, fingering the business card that the NCIS agent had given him. _Special Agent_ _Leroy Jethro Gibbs._ Riley glared at the card and flicked at it in disgust. Nothing special about his kind. Cowards! All of them. Riley had no respect for men who beat their kids. Aimee's bruised and scraped face made him angry and it brought back his own memories. The whole reason why he'd joined the Marines when he finished high school was to escape his old man's drunken fists. Aimee stirred in her sleep, making Riley hold his breath hoping she wouldn't awaken. He'd lain awake for a long time listening to her pitiful cry. It bothered him but he didn't know how to console her. He did what he felt was right by simply holding her gently and letting her cry herself out. It was the kind of crying that could have ripped the heart out of anyone. The sound of mourning, of loss, the kind that spoke of a pain that was soul deep, of desperation and fear, sorrow and the desire to just give up completely. He'd been thankful when she'd finally fallen asleep. He needed some time to think, to figure out what he was going to do. The last thing he needed was more trouble. He had enough of his own.

All he ever wanted was some peace and tranquillity in his life, to be free of his father and the constant abuse at the man's hands. A small part of him thought that maybe his father would be proud of him if he became a marine. His father had served in the marines and it was the only thing the bitter man spoke about with respect. Riley still remembered the rancorous words in the note his father sent him once he revealed his location. Riley figured it had been written in a drunken stupor and he would have tossed the thing out but his father had signed it ' _Dad'_. It looked like such a foreign word on paper but somehow the familiarity of it forced him to keep it, proof that at one time he had been part of a family.

Riley shoved the business card back into his pocket and wandered to his backpack, pulling out random articles of clothing. He was cold and he'd wrapped Aimee up in the only blanket he owned, stuffing newspaper around her for insulation.

"Damn it. Where the hell is it?" he muttered.

He knew he'd worn his jacket the other day. He hadn't seen it since and it was the only warm thing he had besides the blanket against the elements. Riley shivered as he searched through everything he had, only to come up empty-handed.

His heart plummeted in disappointment. Losing the sweater meant he lost the warmth and the stupid letter. Why did he insist on torturing himself with the letter anyway? He was better off without it. It just reminded him of the trouble he'd left behind.

He quickly found out that trouble followed him wherever he went. Once a punching bag, always a punching bag it seemed. Turned out his drill sergeant had twitchy palms too and for some reason took an instant dislike to him. Gunnery Sergeant James Adams, his drill instructor, was a tyrant and there wasn't a thing Riley did right. He'd run away from his pathetic hometown, a little place southwest of Hell with its one gas station, dollar store and greasy spoon restaurant run by his beaten and broken mother. Just his miserable luck, instead of escaping the worst life could throw at him, he ran straight back into it. Adams recognized him the first day of training camp and pegged him for what he was: a good for nothing loser, just like his washed out father. His life spun into an unbearable nightmare after that, worse than it had ever been at home.

Riley shivered as memories washed over him. Burning tears pricked at his eyes and he swallowed a huge lump in his throat as he rubbed his hands briskly together to keep warm. Before he could stop it, his mind wandered back.

 _"Janssen." The sergeant's voice sent shivers down his spine whenever he heard it. Riley had been out all day on his feet, carrying heavy weights in his backpack. To say he was exhausted was a gross understatement. The last thing he wanted to do was go another round with his DI. He'd already ached from the day before._

 _Riley stood at attention. "Yes, sir." He averted his eyes like he'd been trained to do so well, staring straight ahead like a good little soldier._

 _"Drop and give me 50."_

 _"Sir?" Riley ached all over from field exercises. There was no way he could have done ten push-ups let alone 50._

 _"Are you hard of hearing, boy?"_

 _"No, sir."_

 _The sergeant smacked him in the back of the head sharply. Riley winced. From the corner of his eye, he could see the rest of his unit rushing past, each one turning a blind eye to him. Not one of them wanted to be in Riley's position. In the beginning, a few had come to his defence only to mysteriously show up the next day with broken bones or dislocated limbs, all in the line of training, of course._

 _"Drop and give me 50."_

 _"Yes Sir," screamed Riley, again acting how he'd been taught. The Sergeant screams at the marine and the marine screams back even louder. Don't make eye contact. Answer any questions with yes, sir. Only Riley didn't move to comply. He was too exhausted. He had nothing left to give and he hurt all over. He grimaced as he was rewarded with yet another stinging smack to the back of his head. The sergeant leaned in closer forcing him to step back up. Each step closer forced Riley to step back. The sergeant and Riley kept up the dance until the DI forced him around a corner, and into a secluded area behind the barracks where no one could see them. Once they were alone, the man shoved him to the ground with such force that Riley smacked his head on the ground._

Riley shook his head to clear the memory. He didn't want to remember anymore. Things only got steadily worse from there.

A loud pounding on the door yanked Riley from his reverie. He jumped to his feet, grabbing Aimee and pulling her into a dark corner of the room. She didn't stir and Riley shoved a piece of old furniture in front of her. He prayed she stayed sleeping. Riley's heart hammered in his chest when the door to the old abandoned apartment was knocked to the ground revealing two gunman pointing weapons at him.

"GET DOWN!" shouted one of them, glancing around the room quickly.

Riley made a move to resist and the other man barged in further and knocked him to the ground, shoving the gun in his face.

"Where's the girl?"

"W-what girl?"

He was rewarded with a sharp blow to the face.

"Don't piss me off, punk. We saw you bring her here. I'm only going to ask you one more time. Where the hell is the girl?"

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs walked up the stairs in the middle of the bullpen, heading towards Jenny's office. He felt like he finally had some kind of renewed energy and it hadn't come from the coffee Abby had given him, although, her coffee was pretty good. His favourite forensic scientist had found Aimee's DNA on the jacket. It had been Aimee they'd almost found. Tony and Tim went out to comb the area again while Gibbs planned to call in a few favours. He had some Intel that knew those back alleys well. Someone would have seen Aimee.

As Gibbs rounded the corner and headed into Cynthia's office area, he was surprised to see Makayla sitting by herself outside her aunt's office. She looked up at him and his heart ached a little when he saw her red-rimmed eyes. What was it about this teenager that had him so wrapped? He had quickly become attached to her.

"If you're here to see my Aunt Jenny, I'd suggest picking another time. She's not in the best of moods right now," said Makayla shrinking back into the chair further looking more than a little forlorn and pathetic.

"Thought you'd be working on sorting those boxes for me."

Makayla crossed her legs in the chair which only served to make her look about as old as Aimee. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail at the nape of her neck and she was doodling in her art notebook. "Not allowed yet."

"Why?"

"I'm supposed to sit here and not move until she tells me I can."

Gibbs scratched at his 5 o'clock shadowed face and leaned against Cynthia's desk. Obviously, Jenn had her own show of authority in mind with Makayla.

"We okay?" he asked, wondering if the teen felt awkward about what he'd done to her earlier. It hadn't exactly been his right, and he may have crossed some personal boundaries. He certainly wasn't one to make a practice of spanking teenagers however he felt like she needed a strong demonstration in order to change her line of thinking. Worrying about her running off on her own was not something any of them needed.

Makayla chewed her lip. "My aunt said that if I step so much as a pinky toe out of line, she plans to employ your umm services again."

Gibbs bit back a smirk at the expression on her face. Makayla wasn't at all impressed with her aunt's assertion. Jenny wasn't one to mince words so he pretty much believed she meant it, but her meaning it and him following through were two different things. Gibbs crossed his arms and stared at the young teen. Makayla kept drawing trying her best to ignore him staring at her.

"What are you drawing?"

Makayla shrugged. "I like to draw caricatures when I'm mad."

"So, who's the lucky recipient?"

"You," she said with no heat.

Gibbs chuckled. "I suppose I deserve that."

Makayla held up her drawing so Gibbs could see it. Gibbs examined the light-hearted picture and noticed the resemblance. Makayla was talented, without a doubt.

Gibbs walked to the nearby mirror that hung on the wall beside the entrance and looked at his nose up close. "Is my nose really that big?"

This time Makayla laughed. "No, you goof; don't you know what a caricature is?"

Gibbs smiled. His attempt at levity had worked. Just then Jenny opened her office door and just missed hitting Gibbs with it. Gibbs noticed that she still looked upset. Her face was pink and flushed looking and she just had a flustered look about her. Probably no one else could see it, but he always could read her like a familiar book.

"Jethro, when did you get here?"

"I was just coming to see ya, Jenn. Abby found DNA on…"

Jenn held up a hand to forestall his words. "I know. I just got off the phone with Agent McGee. They found the place where Aimee was staying."

Gibbs' face paled. Why had McGee called Jenn and not him? Gibbs felt around for his cell and came up empty. What the hell? Damn it, he thought, he must have left his phone on his desk. Gibbs spun on his heel and ran from the room.

"She's not there, Jethro," Jenn called after him.

Gibbs never looked back.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

"What the hell do you people want?" shouted Riley as soon as the tape was ripped from his mouth. He was still blindfolded so he had no idea where he was or who else was in the room with him. Once the two gunmen had infiltrated the abandoned apartment, it hadn't taken long for them to find Aimee and grab her. Things had happened so quickly and soon he was bound, blindfolded and gagged. He had no idea what was going on and his heart about leapt from his chest when he heard Aimee screaming.

"I don't think you are in the position to ask questions, Mr. Janssen," said a husky male voice in the distance.

Riley licked his parched lips feeling his heart hammering against his chest.

"He is just a kid; knock off the Rambo garbage, already!" snapped a female voice, a softer, kinder voice that was much closer to him. "He was just trying to help the girl."

The husky voice laughed menacingly. "So you think. How do you know he's not some pervert just waiting to make his move on the kid."

Riley's stomach churned at the thought. "What do you want with Aimee?"

"Relax, kid; it's got nothing to do with you. As soon as we've relocated, we'll call someone and let them know where you are."

Riley's heart rate picked up when he felt someone touch his face. He turned his head so he could escape the cold hand.

"Cuff him to the chair." The female voice held an immense amount of authority. "Take the kid to Almeida.

Riley felt his hands being unbound and then cuffed to the chair he was sitting in. He grimaced at the pain that shot through his shoulder when someone grabbed it roughly and pulled it back to cuff it. Sharp pulses of pain radiated up his shoulder and went straight to his brain. His shoulder must have been dislocated or something because the pain was bordering on unbearable. He heard doors opening and closing around him until soon there was only silence. He swallowed convulsively as his mind spun. What did this all mean? Who were these people and what did they want with Aimee? Had the kid been right about David Brody, the FBI guy? Did this have to do with human trafficking too?

He startled when he felt someone stroke his hair lightly.

"Who is it? Who's there?" He felt so vulnerable being blindfolded.

"Too bad, kid. Under different circumstances, we might have been able to help you with your little AWOL problem?" The female voice again.

Riley's breathing increased. How did she know? Who were these people?

"What's gonna happen to Aimee?" he asked again, hoping to find out something—anything.

"We've all got a destiny, Riley. Yours is to live another day. Aimee's is to help save the world." Riley shuddered as the female continued stroking his hair and face.

"She's just a little kid. Who are you people?"

The cold hand left his face making Riley's heart rate increase further. Sudden warm breath on his neck and ear gave him goosebumps. "We make a difference. That's all that matters."

"Make a difference to who?" Riley's voice grew more courageous. Whoever this woman was, something about her wasn't feeling threatening to him anymore.

He heard the woman sigh softly in his ear before pulling away. Her soft footsteps paced around him several times before she stopped.

"You will be released in a few hours, Riley. I suggest you relax and use this time to pray to your maker. Today is your lucky day. Be thankful."

With those words, Riley heard her walk away from him, heels clicking on a hard floor. He heard the door open and close again. This time Riley felt sure he was alone.


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N**_

 _ **Thanks for the reviews...especially the encouragement. :)**_

 _ **Authors write because they enjoy writing. Hopefully, readers read because they enjoy the story.**_

 _ **Would you be able to do me a huge favour? My son has posted his first story on fanfiction. His username is yippyfox. Would some of you be so kind as to read his story and leave an encouraging review for him? You would be encouraging a future author, and you never know what he might write someday! Apparently, my review doesn't count because I am his mom. *smirk* Just go to my favourite stories on my profile page and look for the story Rico's Adventures. He's only posted one chapter so far. Pretty please with a cherry on top?**_

 _ **My chapters may be shorter than normal because my time is so limited. I thought you'd appreciate a little when I can rather than making you wait for weeks and weeks at a time...so if the story seems to be moving slowly, it's just my lack of time, not the story haha. Besides, it will build up your curiosity and imagination to speculate what will happen next, right?**_

 _ **I'm so honoured that you are reading along. Thanks for the private messages that spur me along as well.**_

Tears soaked the covering over her eyes and leaked down Aimee's cheeks as she attempted to lick her dry lips through the duct tape attached to her mouth. She was lying on her side, her arms and legs were bound and she was blindfolded. She wasn't sure how long she had been lying there but she was wet and cold, having already relieved herself several times. Her heart just seemed to continue hammering in her small chest as her mind spun in a so many directions, wondering what was going to happen to her and if anyone would miss her and if it was going to hurt. She had already come to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to see her sister or Gibbs again. She also decided that she deserved whatever happened to her and that everyone would be much better off without her.

Aimee strained her ears to try and hear something—anything—but the room was as silent as she imagined a tomb in Ancient Egypt would be. She'd already tried rolling around the room, searching and figuring out the size of the room, if there was a door or a window. Having spent as much time at NCIS as she'd had, she'd learned a thing or two. Being really quiet and overhearing their conversations had taught her a lot about what agents did. Aimee had figured out that there was one door in the room and at least one window opposite the door. She could feel the air under the door and she was able to stick her fingers out under it. She knew there were windows because she felt the warmth on her face from the sun. Under different circumstances, she would have bragged to Tony how she figured it out. She felt sure that he'd be proud of her assertions.

A sudden movement from the doorway made Aimee stiffen. She heard footfalls and the door swing open with a loud creaking noise.

"Ugh, the kid pissed herself," complained a deep male voice.

A loud grimace could be heard. "What do you expect, you idiot? Why didn't you check on her and take to the washroom? Have you even given her anything to eat or drink?"

"Hey, I wasn't hired to be a damned babysitter. You said to make sure she didn't go anywhere. She didn't, did she?"

Aimee heard a scuffle and one of the men grunt. She wiggled herself backward until she felt her back touch the wall. She wanted to make sure nothing came up on her from behind. She heard footsteps cross the room and then someone touched her gently. She jerked and screamed but her gag prevented anything but a muffled sound from escaping her lips.

"Shhh, it's okay kid. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to remove this tape from your mouth, okay?"

Aimee felt the tape being pulled from her mouth. She grimaced as it was removed along with the small hairs on her face. It stung much worse than a Band-Aid. She blinked back more tears that were soaked up by the already wet blindfold.

"You thirsty?" The guy said when the gag was pulled from her mouth.

Aimee frantically licked her lips, wishing she could rub the sting from her mouth. She used her shoulder to wipe off her face. She took a deep breath and began to scream as loud as she could. It was a stupid thing to do because she knew she would be stopped but she hoped someone might hear her. Instantly a rough, but a warm hand clamped over her nose and mouth. Her eyes bugged out under the covering. Was he going to suffocate her now as punishment? She jumped when she felt breath close to her ear.

"Shut up, kid." His voice held a very clear warning to it.

Aimee closed her mouth and the hand slowly loosened and was removed from her face.

She felt someone brush hair from her face. "You must be cold."

Aimee shivered as if on cue. She was cold. "Please, lemme go." She sobbed pathetically.

"I'm sorry, kid. I can't do that. Open your mouth. I have some water for you."

She felt a bottle touch her lips. She drank greedily.

"Not so fast. You'll make yourself sick," admonished the man, his voice soft.

Aimee obeyed. She kept drinking and stopping to breathe, then drinking again. She hadn't realised how thirsty she really was. Soon the bottle was taken away. Her face was wet. Water had run under her head, soaking her shirt.

"Why do you bother?" said another voice coming from what Aimee figured was the doorway.

"I'm not going to torture her!" snapped the man close to her head. "Get something for her to eat and something dry for her to wear. She'll get sick if we leave her in these wet clothes."

"Get it yourself. I told you, I wasn't hired to be the kid's nursemaid." Footsteps told Aimee that the other man walked away.

Aimee heard the man stand up and walk away from her and then back towards her. Then she felt something being laid over her.

"I'm going to untie your feet, kid. You're wet so I'm gonna need to pull your pants off."

Aimee's eyes widened as she felt the man untie her feet. The sudden freedom gave her just enough inspiration to spring to her feet. The gasp from the man told her that he hadn't expected that. She leaned against the wall, straining her ears to see where the man was. She would kick him as hard as she could, just like Tony had taught her. Tony had told her just how vulnerable a man could be if you kicked him just right. Ziva had taught her how to roll and get to her feet with her hands tied behind her back. Tony had taught her how to use her shoelaces to break tie straps. Apparently, it was common practice to use tie straps to tie up kids up. Their wrists were small and tie straps were easy. Aimee hadn't been so lucky. Her captors had used duct tape.

"Hey, relax Aimee. I' m not gonna hurt you."

Aimee willed herself to stay silent and concentrate on every sound in the room. Being blindfolded was a disadvantage but she was on her feet and that was a huge improvement in her mind.

"C'mon, kid, what are you gonna do? Run? You wouldn't make it out the door before I'd catch you. Geez, you're definitely are Gibbs kid."

Aimee kept her face neutral but inside her heart clenched. She wished she was more like Gibbs and his real kid. Gibbs was brave and strong. He always did what he needed to do. Aimee heard the man move but the sound travelled away from her and then she heard the door shut. Was the man leaving or just preventing her from escaping? Foot shuffles answered her question. The man kept wandering around the room and not standing in one place. She could hear him breathing and groaning.

Then the movement stopped. Aimee pressed her back against the wall and slowly dragged herself sideways. Her hands felt behind her, getting to know the room better from her new position.

"Telling you to trust me is probably a moot point, isn't it?"

Aimee licked her lips and lifted her shoulder to rub her blond hair from her cheek. She didn't know what he meant by that but she still didn't say anything. Talking to him would distract her. She kept sidestepping and running her hands along the wall. Her hands found something jagged and she stopped. A nail maybe? She stood stock still and began to slowly rip at the duct tape on her wrists.

Her heart beat a steady rhythm in her chest as she tried to not make it noticeable.

"You work for Brody, don't you?" Her voice was gravelly so she cleared her throat several times. Maybe now was the time to distract the man and talk.

She heard him walk closer. "No, I don't work for him."

"Then who do you work for?"

"FBI." The man whispered in her ear and Aimee swung her head away, startled. How had he gotten so close to her without her hearing him move? Aimee stopped moving her hands. Her mouth was like cotton once again. Did this mean he was a good guy or a bad guy? Her lips trembled. She felt a hand stroke her hair and she whimpered.

"That's right, kid. You should be afraid." He pulled her from the wall and picked her up by the waist, tossing her over his shoulder. Aimee screamed and kicked her feet for all she was worth until she found herself lying back on the ground. The FBI man grabbed her by the legs and yanked her pants off in one fluid movement. She felt cold air hit her legs and then in the next moment she felt the warmth as something dry and warm was thrown on top of her.

"I'll be back with something to eat and some dry clothes."

Aimee grimaced and succumbed to sobs once more once she heard the door open and close once more. Her heart was racing and she was having a hard time catching her breath. She was just a little kid. How was she supposed to know what to do? Aimee dug her hands into her hands as hard as she could. She had to stop herself from crying. That wasn't going to help anything. She rolled over and was on her feet again, thankful that the man had only taken her pants and not her underpants as well. She slowly walked backward until she felt her fingers touch the wall again. She was determined to find that jagged nail or whatever it was and keep working to free her hands. Aimee sidestepped and kept fingering the wall behind her. Minute after minute crept by as she carefully felt the wall over and over until she found the jagged edge. Her tongue poked from her mouth as she worked hard to cut the bindings from her hands. If she could free her hands, she could remove the blindfold. She wasn't about to run away, though. She was prepared to see this through but it was going to be on her terms.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Riley woke with a start to find himself on the floor now still attached to the chair he'd been cuffed to. He grimaced and moaned at the pain in his head. He remembered his rash attempt to free himself and groaned at his stupidity. The apartment was cluttered and he'd lost his footing, hitting his head and knocking his own self out.

"Stupid idiot," he mumbled as he sat up. In a fit of rage at his own foolishness, Riley jumped to his feet and swung himself around. This time he heard the chair smash behind him. Most things in the abandoned apartment were tras, to begin with, so he'd been right in thinking he'd be able to easily break the chair. He was free now but his hands were still cuffed behind his back and he was still tightly blindfolded. Riley carefully stepped nearly tripping, trying to find his way to a wall or a corner. He eventually managed to stumble his way across the room until he ran head first into a wall. He went to work rubbing his head against it, trying to remove the covering from his eyes. Riley felt perspiration grow on his upper lip as he worked to remove the blindfold. He never knew it would be so difficult and it was attached to his hair in places. He kept rubbing and sliding his head against the wall, hoping to find a way to remove it. All at once, the fabric caught onto something jagged on the wall and he felt it move. He kept working at it and finally, the covering moved enough so he could see out of one eye. He scanned the room, trying to remember where he had seen a coat hanger. Riley had had more than one experience with cuffs in his young life. He'd learned young how to escape them.

A sudden noise from behind him caused him to stop and spin around. His heart was hammering in his chest, not knowing if the same people had returned to finish him off or what.

"Don't move, kid!" ordered an authoritative voice.

Riley froze and blinked. Two well-dressed men entered the room, followed by a dark haired woman with her hair tied up in a ponytail at the back of her head. They all had weapons poised to shoot but were slowly dropping them to their sides as their scan of the room only had him and he was hardly a worthy adversary. Riley blinked again, trying to clear his vision as it was still encumbered by the blindfold pressing on his upper lid.

"On your knees," the darker haired man ordered.

Riley grimaced and reluctantly obeyed. If he hadn't have been still half blindfolded and handcuffed, he felt sure he could have escaped. Of course, the guns might have proved a problem. Complying seemed the best option. The man kept his gun trained on Riley as he walked around him and pulled him to his feet. He felt himself being propelled forward and his stomach shoved over a counter. The man removed the blindfold and Riley blinked hard as his eyes adjusted to being free. He turned his head to get a better look at the guy. Riley furrowed his brow as it dawned on him that he recognised the guy.

"You're that agent from the street," said Riley, grimacing as his hands were released from the cuffs restraining him. Riley straightened up, his hands bordering on numbness and he quickly began rubbing his wrists as he turned to face the man who'd freed him.

"Special Agent DiNozzo." The agent flashed his badge quickly and replaced his gun in its holder. "You're the kid from the alley."

Riley dropped his shoulders and leaned against the counter he had been shoved against when the agent had released him.

"Tony, look." Both Riley and the other agent turned to see the other man in the room hold up Aimee's shoe. "It's Aimee's."

The agent called Tony turned and eyed Riley dangerously causing Riley to swallow in trepidation. Riley's hands went up in defence. He was still pinned against the counter in a corner with very little room to escape.

"Where's the little girl?"

Riley swallowed convulsively. "They took her. I-I…" he stammered, his heart thrashing hard in his chest.

"Who?" demanded Tony, grabbed Riley by the scruff of the neck.

"I-I dunno. They burst into the room before I could do anything. I tried to stop them but they overpowered me!" Riley felt like his head would explode. One bad thing after the other seemed to happen to him. He never caught a break.

Tony released Riley with a shove, digging his back further into the sharp-edged counter. Riley groaned and tried to slide sideways but was pinned by Tony.

"Anything else, McGee?"

The lightered haired agent shook his head and walked up to stand in front of them. He held up the shoe so Riley could get a good look at it. It was a pink camo running shoe and it looked much smaller when an adult male held it.

"I swear I was only trying to protect her, man."

Riley blinked back moisture building in his eyes as he looked towards the woman agent in the room, trying to elicit sympathy for her. The woman pulled out her phone, hit a button and held the cell to her ear. Riley heard a voice answer and the woman walked from the room, leaving Riley alone with the two male agents.

"Whaddaya think, McGee? How many ways do you think we can make Riley talk?"

Riley's eyes budged and he gasped out loud. He didn't scare easily. He'd been through a lot in his young life which made him tough. He wasn't a sickly, skinny person either but in comparison to the agent, he was no match.

"Knock it off, Tony," said McGee, shoving Tony out of the way and allowing Riley to move away from the counter. The agent gave him a small smile and offered a chair for Riley to sit in. Riley looked towards Tony who was still glaring at him and sat.

"How do you know my name?" he finally thought to ask.

"Found your jacket in the alley," said Tony as he began to pace in front of Riley. Riley furrowed his brow wondering how that had happened. He didn't remember dropping it. Hell, he didn't even remember wearing it.

The agent called McGee pulled another chair over from the debris in the room and sat across from Riley. Riley swallowed and kept an eye on the other agent who was pacing like a caged wild animal.

"Aimee was here with you. Why didn't you bring her to Gibbs? He gave you his card."

Riley wrung his hands. He should have called the name on the card. If he had, he would have gotten rid of the kid and not be in this predicament. Riley's mind flashed back to the fear in Aimee's eyes and the bruises and scrapes on her face. There was no way he could have slept at night if he'd have given her back only to be beaten again. He wouldn't do that to a dog let alone another human being.

Just then the female agent returned to the room. "Gibbs wants us back at NCIS."

The agent called Tony balked indignantly. "What about the kid?"

She merely shrugged. "Let him go."

"What the hell?"

"It is not a request, Tony. Come on." With those words, the woman left the room.

McGee stood to his feet and walked towards the door, turning to look at Tony. "You coming, Tony?"

Tony kept pacing. "In a minute."

McGee left the room leaving Riley alone with Tony.

"Answer the question."

Riley blinked, feeling completely disconcerted by the change of events. He thought he was going to be busted and they were going to let him go? Riley was reeling from everything and couldn't stop his heart from hammering against his ribcage.

"Answer the damn question! Why didn't you call the name on the friggin card?" Tony grabbed him by the scruff of the neck again, half lifting him off the chair.

Riley felt terror build up within him. How many times had his father grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and beat him senseless? Riley closed his eyes and forced himself to stay lucid. Losing control now would only make things worse,

"I-I…uhh…s-she made me promise not to call him."

Tony glared at him. "Why would she do that?"

"I-I don't know…maybe she's tired of him beating her. You should have seen her face, man. All bruised up. She begged me not to call him."

Tony released his grip on Riley's shirt, running his hands through his dark hair.

Riley took that opportunity to spring to his feet and back away in fear. Tony turned to him and pointed a finger at him gruffly.

"Gibbs didn't beat her, you idiot. Damn it! She nearly fell off a roof…Gawd!" Tony let out a streak of curses while he shook his head. Then he looked up at Riley with a more softened expression gracing his face. "Look, Riley, Aimee is in severe danger. Those people who have her are not fooling around. They're gonna kill her. Calling Gibbs was the only thing you should have done."

Riley swallowed hard taking in the agent's words. How could he have known? He only had what he could see at face value.

Tony looked at him again, his face softening further almost like he was reading his mind. "I'm sorry, Riley. You couldn't have known all that." Tony cursed again and walked towards the door.

Riley took a deep breath as he saw the agent walk away. He released it very slowly, trying to slow down his heart rate. At this point, he was beginning to feel like his heart was going to leap from his chest and leave without him. Suddenly the agent stopped and turned to look at him once more.

"You don't have to keep running you know. NCIS can help if you'll let us."

Riley hesitated a moment as he stared at the dark-haired agent. He'd been running for so long, he wasn't sure what it would feel like not to be running from something. Not running sounded nice. But he knew better. Everyone had an angle. Everyone wanted something from him. He had nothing left to give and he wasn't ready to trust anyone.

Riley stuck his chin up proudly. "I don't need anyone."

Tony stared at him for what seemed like a long time before he spoke. "We all need somebody, kid."

"I don't."

Tony nodded and walked out leaving Riley alone once more.

Riley leaned against the wall and allowed the tears to fall. He rubbed his filthy hands across his face and slipped to his knees. Soon the tremors overwhelmed him and he collapsed to the floor.


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N Coordinates are made up...not even sure where they would take you if you actually traced them LOL**_

 _ **Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming. I need the encouragement these days. I'm completely drowning in the winter blahs. Anyone else with me?**_

"How can you be certain, Boss?"

"He's a Marine, DiNozzo. It's an unwritten code."

"He's not a Marine yet."

"He's a Marine in all the ways that count." Gibbs took a long drink of his coffee.

"It's still a risk. He could just disappear."

Gibbs didn't reply and Tony sighed. He'd known Gibbs for a very long time and he'd grown quite used to the man's self-chosen selective mutism. Sometimes Tony suspected that even Gibbs didn't know why he did things the way he did so further inquiries would be futile. Tony picked up the binoculars beside him in the car and continued staring into the distance. He didn't even know what he expected to see. They were on an unplanned stakeout in the middle of some alleyway in an abandoned neighbourhood; an atypical Gibbs appointed vigil. Gibbs had a hunch and he was rolling with it.

"The kid's running scared. Why are you risking Aimee's safety on…?"

Tony felt a firm blow to the back of his head, smacking the binoculars out of his hands and into his lap. He grunted and shut up. Unless he wanted a severe case of brain damage, it was best if he just kept quiet until Gibbs wanted to speak.

Gibbs continued drinking his coffee and staring out into the blackness of the back alley. Tony looked through the binoculars and waited. He hated waiting. Sitting around and waiting always felt like watching and waiting for a tea kettle to come to a boil. Waste of time and pent-up energy. Time seemed to stay still, further irking him.

"There," said Gibbs suddenly, pointing into the distance.

Tony followed Gibbs' line of sight until he saw a figure appear in the distance. Gibbs couldn't see paperwork sitting on his desk in front of him yet the old codger could see a kid in the obscurity of a pitch black back alley. Go figure. Tony shook his head in wonderment. He had to hand it to Gibbs. The guy pegged Riley correctly. Tony thought Riley would have been long gone, saving his own skin yet there the kid stood.

"He can't help himself," murmured Gibbs.

Tony looked at his boss in confusion. "And you can't help him if he won't let you."

Gibbs continued watching the kid closely, narrowing his eyes and furrowing his brow. "That's not what I meant. He can't help himself from caring. He can't let this go any more than we can."

Tony watched as the young man scoped his surroundings carefully, not noticing the abandoned car that Gibbs and Tony sat in. The car had been there for a long time, just part of the everyday landscape now.

"Why is that?" mumbled Tony, not really expecting an answer. His words lingered.

"Do you see him, Ziva?" asked Gibbs.

"I see him, Gibbs," Ziva spoke into both their earpieces.

"Keep on him like a fat kid on smarties," said Tony.

Tony heard Ziva sigh at his euphemism. Tony smirked for a moment wondering how Ziva would process and assimilate his newest saying. He figured she'd eventually thoroughly butcher it. American euphemisms were often her downfall and definitely her biggest pet peeve.

Gibbs wasn't a trained profiler but he'd been around long enough to learn more than a few tricks and he was damned good at reading kids. For all the years Tony had worked with Gibbs, the older man was never wrong about a kid. Oh, he'd misjudged actions and reactions a time or two but the man was always dead on the money when it came to knowing how kids thought. Anytime the team worked with kids, everyone stepped aside and let Gibbs work his magic. More times than not, he did just that.

"He thinks you abuse Aimee."

Gibbs didn't flinch. "Her face was bruised up from her trek across the roof. It's understandable and probably why he didn't call me when he found her again."

Tony considered Gibbs words for a few moments. The fact that Gibbs didn't appear surprised nor dismayed by the information he'd shared made Tony feel wary. "What do you know that I don't?"

"Riley's a survivor, Tony."

Tony dropped his gaze to the floor. He didn't need to ask what Gibbs meant. He mightn't have told Gibbs a single thing about his past but Gibbs still knew. It was like the man had spoken one on one with his inner child.

"McGee did some digging around on Riley," continued Gibbs. "He comes from a small town in the middle of nowhere Arkansas, good kid, no juvenile record, average student. His mother operates a small coffee shop in town and his parents have been separated for a couple of years. Father served in the Marines and has an OTH discharge."

"Other than honourable?" Tony frowned. He knew that OTH discharges were only warranted when the reason for separation was based upon a pattern of behaviour that constituted a significant departure from the conduct expected of members of the Military Services.

"Son of a bitch likes to smack around his wife and kid. Social services have a file on him as long as my arm."

Tony was beginning to understand. "So, the kid escapes his ole man by joining the Marines." Inwardly, Tony cringed. In his mind, the kid had only traded in one abuse for another. Marine basic training wasn't fun by any stretch of the imagination.

Gibbs nodded. "That's my guess. His misguided attempt to win the favour of his father. Reported absent without leave a month ago."

"Okay, so why is he on the run?" That was the million dollar question, wasn't it?

Tony didn't expect an answer. Until they talked to the kid further, they wouldn't have those answers. And in the end, if Riley didn't want to talk, all they could do was turn him over his authorities. It really wasn't their problem. Tony looked at Gibbs in the dimness of the car. Gibbs' clenched jaw and worried expression spoke volumes.

"He is on the move, Gibbs," Ziva informed them.

"Stay on him, Ziver."

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Makayla set the heavy box on the floor and brushed her hands off on the back of her pants. She looked around the room and sighed. She'd been working for several hours moving boxes from one room to another.

"This is stupid," she mumbled. She knew it was Gibbs' way of letting her know who was in charge and she got that. She rubbed the seat of her pants subconsciously. She more than got it. She had no intention of ever taking off on her own again, at least not on Gibbs' watch. If Gibbs wanted her attention, he got it. She figured her poor butt would never be the same again. She hadn't anticipated him tenderizing her gluteal muscles so thoroughly. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became. She chalked it up to one of the most mortifying experiences that had ever happened to her and never wanted it repeated. Like ever.

"Having fun?"

Makayla let out a small squeal as she spun on her heel to see Abby standing in the doorway. Abby covered her mouth to stifle a small giggle. "Sorry, Mackie, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay, Abby. I guess I was too busy thinking to hear you come in."

Abby walked in and leaned against the wall. Her hair had loosened from its' usual pigtails and framed her face. Abby chewed on a hangnail for a minute all the while staring at the teenager. Makayla squirmed under the scrutiny and decided to carry more boxes across the hall. Abby followed.

"You do realize that this is a make work project, right?"

Makayla nodded as she moved yet another box. She wasn't sure what would happen if Gibbs came back and found that she hadn't moved all the boxes he had marked with a black sharpie before he left.

"I don't want to tick him off any more than he already is."

"Gibbs only acts like this because he cares, Mackie."

Makayla stopped, set the dusty box on the ground and put her hands on her hips in annoyance. "So, what's next? He comes back and makes me move them all back again?"

"He was worried, Mak…"

Makayla clenched her fists together and hit Abby with a hard look. "I don't need another lecture, Abby. I get it, okay? Gibbs did a damned good job of showing me how pissed off he was, so unless you came to help, just leave me alone."

Abby sighed and went to work helping.

Makayla continued moving the boxes without speaking further. Abby helped her and the silent offering of help was welcomed by Makayla, the more the merrier and then the job would be done so she could go home. Her Aunt Jenny wasn't letting her leave until Gibbs gave his approval. Apparently, her aunt was more ticked off than Gibbs and would rather keep her distance. As Makayla moved the boxes, her mind travelled to Aimee, wondering how she was doing and if she was safe. Her mind whirled back to the conversation she'd overheard in Gibbs room. She'd heard the entire exchange, from Aimee's side at least. Her conscience kept needling her relentlessly and it wasn't getting any easier to suppress. Makayla had been so angry about her own problems that she hadn't stopped to consider that maybe she should let Gibbs know what she'd heard. By the time she gave it any further thought, it felt too late. What would Gibbs say if he knew she'd kept stuff from him? He'd hate her if he didn't already. Or maybe worse.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Abby as she set down another box and sat on it.

"How much I hate my life."

"You do not. You're just mad you got your tail busted," stated Abby, finally acknowledging the elephant in the room. "How long are you going to stay in a snit before you get over it?"

Makayla couldn't have been more shocked if she'd been slapped across the face.

Abby continued. "And before you get all up in arms, Gibbs didn't tell me. He wouldn't do that. What happens behind closed doors stays behind closes doors."

"Then how did you know?"

"I saw you rubbing your heinie. I figured it out."

Makayla blushed. It was official. She was completely mortified. How many others had seen her inadvertently do that and put two and two together?

"Relax, Mackie. You've seen him smack Tony and McGee. It's nothing personal. Gibbs is old school and there isn't anyone that can teach that old dog new tricks."

Makayla sighed and sat down on her own box across from Abby. "Be easier if I could hate him."

Abby chuckled. "Yah, I know what you mean. Gibbs is just too...well, he's Gibbs. You can't hate him no matter how hard you try."

Makayla managed a small smirk. She definitely could testify to that statement. She'd tried very hard to hate Gibbs but just couldn't bring herself to do it. Out of everyone at NCIS, Gibbs had been her first friend. Despite his heavy-handedness, Makayla still liked Gibbs a lot. Only that knowledge just made her feel even more frustrated and guilty. It would have been easier to hate him.

"Mackie, what's bugging you?"

Makayla looked at Abby curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Call it my sixth sense, but I can tell that something else is eating at you. I can't imagine a few swats would make you this sullen."

Makayla blinked and looked down at her hands. How did Abby do that? It was like she could see right through her into her soul and it made her shiver.

"It wasn't just a few, Abby," Makayla mumbled as she blushed and turned away, tears filling her eyes. Truth be known, what Gibbs had done wasn't really bothering her as much anymore. She was still a little mad at him but her concern now was more focussed on Aimee. Her conscience was berating her endlessly. Makayla rubbed her hands up and down on the top of her jeans. She couldn't stop the image of Aimee floating around in her head, seeing the fear on Aimee's face and hearing the words spoken. Most of what she'd heard hadn't made much sense to her.

Abby stood and shuffled her box closer, sitting down and draping an arm around Makayla. "Aww, I'm sorry, Honey. I shouldn't downplay your feelings. I'd feel pretty humiliated if Gibbs did that to me too."

"You're an adult, Abby, pretty sure that ship has sailed."

Abby made a face. "With Gibbs, one can never be so sure."

"Abby, Gibbs would never hit a lady…he's too much of gentleman."

"Tell that to Ziva." Then Abby smirked. "He has you under his spell, Mackie."

Makayla frowned in confusion.

Abby sobered and hugged her. "You made an error in judgement, Mackie. No shame in that."

Tears rolled down Makayla's cheeks at the tenderness in Abby's voice.

"Hey, now, you really are upset. Sweetie, you need to discuss this more with Gibbs. I know he'd be upset to hear he hurt you this much. That was never his intention."

Makayla shook her head and choked back a sob. "No, Abby, it's not Gibbs. It's me."

"I don't understand," said Abby, brushing back Makayla's long mane of hair from her face, sympathy shining in her eyes.

"Abby, I think I know where Aimee went."

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Aimee sat on the cold floor with her arms wrapped around her knees. She was so cold that she couldn't stop trembling. Her stomach complained loudly. She was hungrier than she ever thought possible. She kept stubbornly wiping tears away. Crying wasn't going to help her now. Her heart rate increased once more when the door swung open suddenly and the same FBI man came in who had torn off her wet pants. Aimee glared at him when their eyes met. His face fell when he saw her and he cursed. He turned on his heel and shouted out the door.

"She got off the blindfold."

More cursing could be heard in the distance and the man disappeared for a few moments and then returned shutting the door behind him. She set her jaw firmly, preparing herself for whatever he had planned for her. He was about to find out that she was no pushover. The dark haired man carried a bag and he set it on the table in the centre of the room. He continued to stare at her as he pulled out items of clothing and some food. He tossed a pair of pants at her.

"Those should fit you, kid. Put them on."

Aimee did as he said, mostly because she longed for the warmth and the pants offered her that.

"Are you hungry? I brought you some food. It's not much but it should tide you over until we move you." FBI man held up what looked like to be a box of crackers and some chunks of cheese. Aimee felt her stomach gnaw at her. She slowly rose to her feet, keeping her back to the wall. Eating food was another thing that could only benefit her, make her stronger and help her be able to fight if she needed to.

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe to eat." FBI man took a bite of some cheese to show her that it was safe for her to eat.

Aimee took a few steps forward and snatched the food from his hands, returning to the wall. She was famished. She couldn't shove the food in fast enough and she found herself choking on the dry crackers.

"Geez, kid. When was the last time you ate?"

Aimee stared at him as she kept eating.

"Thirsty? I got you some milk and cookies. Kids like that kind of thing, right?"

He tossed the food and milk on the table and sat down with a loud sigh. He kept staring at her while she ate. Aimee didn't make a move to get the milk or cookies. She just sat down and stared at him with big eyes. She chewed and swallowed one last time, never taking her eyes from his.

"You've got a lot of spunk, kid. I'll give ya that. Wish you hadn't of taken off that blindfold, though. Makes things a lot more complicated for me, that's for sure."

"You must like money," said Aimee, suddenly, surprising herself. She kept thinking about how much money the FBI man must be getting paid to take her to Brody. She didn't know much about life but she'd been around long enough to know that the FBI was pretty much at the top of things. If the guy was messing with that, it had to be worth a lot of money.

The man lifted a brow. "I beg your pardon?"

"The FBI is supposed to protect Americans and uphold the constitution, right?"

FBI man chuckled. "I was told you were a smart cookie."

Aimee's only response was to narrow her eyes. She didn't appreciate his condescension. She was nearly 10 years old and wasn't even a little bit stupid.

He sobered. "Look, kid, the less you know the better. Let the adults figure all this stuff out. I'm just doing my job and I'm not the bad guy."

Aimee hit him with a penetrating look of disdain.

FBI man stood up and reached into his pocket, pulling out a roll of duct tape. Aimee's eyes widened as her jaw clenched. FBI man had no idea the fight he was about to engage in.

"Don't make this any harder, Aimee. We need to move you and this is the best way for everyone involved."

Aimee pressed her back against the wall, her whole body on alert.

FBI man made his way towards her, reaching to grab her. Quick as a wink, Aimee skirted past him and went towards the door. She kept her back to the wall and her eyes on him. Every time he made a move, she would outwit him. She was fast, slippery as a seal and determined. This was going to happen on her terms. If she was destined to die then she planned to look death straight in the face.

"Damn it, kid."

Aimee's heart raced in her chest as she anticipated FBI man's every move. He was predictable which almost made it fun. His heart obviously wasn't into what he was doing. Passion could supersede all things. Aimee was desperate. She had everything to gain and nothing to lose by keeping her distance.

All at once he made a move that caught Aimee by surprise, faking one way and moving the other. He caught her by the arm and the wildcat in Aimee was released. Gibbs had learned her tells. FBI man didn't stand a chance. Aimee bucked, kicked, bit, screamed and punched for all she was worth. In the end, of course, she could be no match for a 200 pound, healthy, fit FBI agent. Just like she would never be a match for Tony or McGee but Aimee fought valiantly anyway.

Tears sprang to her eyes as FBI man roughly taped her mouth and wrapped her hands around her back once more. He was breathing hard as he tossed her to the ground on her stomach. She heard him lean in close to her ear. "I'm not the bad guy, Aimee." He taped up her feet so she was utterly defenceless to protect herself again. He flipped her over and stared at her. "I know you think I'm the bad guy, but I'm not. I know I can't ask you to trust me, kid. Hopefully, when this is over, you'll understand." He pressed the blindfold over her face again. Aimee tried to move her head but it was no use. Soon she was immersed in darkness once more. FBI man picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Aimee whimpered and felt herself trembling. Something deep inside her knew that the time had come. This was it; whatever it was.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Riley stumbled around in the darkness of the alley, walking in no particular direction. His mind was occupied. He kept going over the information saturating his mind. He'd heard numbers. As sure as he was still alive, hungry and up to his ears in more trouble than he'd ever been in his life, he'd heard numbers.

50° 00' 29.52" N 112° 36' 51.84" W

Riley went over the numbers in his head once more. He'd always been good with figures, ever since he was a little kid. He could do basic mathematics before he started kindergarten. Numbers just made sense. And he was a keen listener, even when he was occupied or terrified. The woman who had kept circling him and touching him had a two-way radio on her and he kept hearing the numbers repeated, almost completely absorbed in white noise. His mind picked them out as clearly as if someone had whispered them in his ear.

50° 00' 29.52" N 112° 36' 51.84" W

An 8 digit grid coordinate. He was sure of it. The coordinates kept being repeated over and over, yet the woman seemed completely unconcerned if he heard them. Something about that deeply bothered Riley. Whoever she was, she knew his name. She would know about him. Anyone could dig up a school record and know how good he was with numbers. It wasn't a secret. Riley stopped and leaned against the filthy wall, sliding down to the ground behind some dumpsters. He ran a shaky, filthy hand through his grimy hair.

50° 00' 29.52" N 112° 36' 51.84" W

An eight-digit grid coordinate enabled you to plot and pinpoint locations on the map that was accurate to 10 meters. Those numbers were leading to a destination. Likely to where that woman was supposed to take Aimee. And what was the name of the guy she'd mentioned? Almeida? Riley couldn't quite remember but he knew he would in time. He had the memory of an elephant. He never forgot a face and he never forgot details. He banged his head on the brick wall and cursed out loud. Why did this have to happen? Why the hell should he care what happened to some damned kid? She was nothing to him. Only Riley did care. He couldn't help himself. Something about Aimee resonated with him. That agent's words haunted him. _Aimee is in severe danger. Those people aren't fooling around. They are going to kill her._ Aimee was just a little kid. She should have been at home playing with Barbie dolls or climbing a tree, not fighting for her life. The twisted world they shared seriously sucked.

Riley reached into his pocket and felt around for the burned cell phone he'd managed to come by and the card in his pocket. He bit down on his lip until he drew blood considering his options. Everything was so damned messed up and he didn't see it getting better. He would never be in the position to help Aimee but maybe that Agent could. He had to try. He inputted the number and held his breath.

"Yah, Gibbs."

Riley shivered, licking his lip slowly and recognizing the metallic taste on his tongue. The voice on the line sounded soft, not intimidating. Definitely not what he expected.

"Don't talk. Just listen. I've got some coordinates for you. I think they might take you to your kid. 50° 00' 29.52" N 112° 36' 51.84" W"

"Riley, let me help you."

"Did you get them?" Riley heard talking in the background.

"Yah, I got them."

Riley ended the call.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs lowered his hand, dropping his cell in his pocket. There were so many times in his life when his gut berated him and this was one of them. He trusted his instincts about people more than he trusted what he logically knew.

"Tim's got it, Boss."

Gibbs touched his earpiece. "Bring him in, Ziva but go easy."


	20. Chapter 20

_**Readers: Sorry it's been so long since I updated...I have reached my limit of hands LOL Kids, school, winter (IT BETTER END SOON), illnesses and so on have sapped me of energy to write...time passes by so quickly these days...I need to learn to say no to people when they ask me to do stuff...this past weekend, I supervised a youth retreat for 11-13-year-olds. I may never catch up on my sleep, and I was rewarded with a head cold to boot.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy the update and don't worry, I won't abandon the story...just may be slow going for awhile.**_

 _ **Thanks for all your reviews! They really make me smile.**_

 _ **oh, there have been a lot of glitches in the fanfiction software lately...some writers have been having trouble uploading stories...hopefully this will work for me :)**_

Gibbs flipped his cell phone closed and dropped it in his pocket. He pinched his nose hard trying to keep his temper in check. Abby had done her best to soften the blow but it hadn't helped much. His jaw clenched so hard, his left ear began to ache in protest. If Makayla had told him this information in the first place, he might have known just a little of what he was dealing with. _Damn it, why did teenagers have to be so friggin spiteful and combative,_ he thought as he clenched his fists and worked hard to simmer himself down. His gut had already berated him about Brody being somehow involved and now Makayla's Intel had just cinched the deal. In his mind anyway. As much as he didn't think anything the teenager had finally admitted meant much in the grand scale of things now, he still wished she would have confided in him sooner. Gibbs knew that Makayla and he would need to talk sooner than later. He needed to hear what she knew in detail himself plus Abby had hinted that the teen girl was still upset with him about his earlier demonstration of authority. While Gibbs didn't regret his decisions, he wanted to make sure the two of them were amicable. Jenn would be none too pleased with him if he had scarred the kid; however, he also knew that Jenn was under no mistaken assumptions. What he did was pretty much already written on the wall when he asked her if she trusted him. Jenn knew him well enough to guess what he'd do, and he was as predictable as all hell when it came to kids even if he didn't know what he was doing. Anyone that knew him at all knew he was as old school as old school could be. Hell, Gibbs was as old as the chalk dust on the old school boards and born older than dirt.

"Boss."

Gibbs looked up to see Tony holding what looked like a child's blue jeans in his glove covered hands. Gibbs winced and swallowed hard when he recognised the pink camo patches on the knees. He might not have been very savvy with a sewing machine but he was damned good with iron-on patches. He knew his handiwork when he saw it.

"Aimee's," he found himself muttering softly.

Gibbs and Tony had followed the coordinates that Riley had given them to some old vacant warehouses outside of town, close to the docks on the darker, seedier side of DC. Anytime they'd been in this neck of the woods, it had never been good. Of course, when they arrived, the place was vacant completely other than some empty food cartons and Aimee's pants. Gibbs felt his heart skip a beat as his mind wandered in a very bad direction. He took the pants from DiNozzo and shivered.

"Find anything else?"

Tony's face was pale in the dark light of the room they stood in. "No, Boss."

Gibbs held the pants feeling the dampness. He held the pants to his nose, a strange thing to do but he had his suspicions and he usually followed his instincts. He grimaced and pulled them away. The strong odour of urine filled his senses and he had to bite the inside of his cheek hard to keep the bile from rising in his throat.

Tony scowled in sympathy. "McGee and Ziva are on their way, along with some other agents, Boss. We'll scour the place as thoroughly as possible."

Gibbs nodded. He knew they would. He tossed the pants on the broken down table in the centre of the room. He narrowed his eyes as he scanned the perimeter. Aimee had been held captive in this room and his gut told him she would have made her mark somewhere. The kid would know they were looking for her and Aimee was more like him then he wanted to admit. That meant they thought alike. The question wasn't if she left a clue, the question was what and how.

"What are you looking for, Boss?" asked Tony curiously as he watched Gibbs scanning the room around him.

"Not sure, DiNozzo but I'll know it when I see it."

Tony frowned but didn't press the man further. Instead, he stood beside Gibbs and followed his lead, searching for something. Gibbs narrowed his eyes, scanning the entire room before moving to the farthest corner of the room and running his hands along the jagged, beaten down walls. The room must have stored wooden pallets at one time because the walls were filled with wooden splinters. Gibbs carefully inspected the corner, stopping when something shiny caught his eye. He pulled his penknife out of his pocket and poked determinedly at the spot. Sure enough, something tumbled out and scattered across the floor. Tony leaned down and picked it up, holding it up for Gibbs to see.

"It's a ring."

Gibbs returned his knife to his pocket and scowled. He'd never seen Aimee wear a ring before. She didn't seem like the type to like girly things like jewelry. Gibbs took the ring in his hands and looked at it closely, looking for something else. It looked like a man's pinky ring. Far too big for a child.

"Is it Aimee's?" prodded Tony, hoping Gibbs would let him in on his thoughts. Gibbs was always good at keeping his thoughts to himself and it often drove the younger man to distraction.

"No, I don't think so, but I think I might know who it belongs to."

Tony frowned. "Who?"

Gibbs held up his hand and slipped the ring on his baby finger.

"Pinky ring?"

Gibbs nodded. "Engineer's ring and my money says it belongs to Riley."

"Boss, the kid's barely 18 years old. No way he'd have an engineer's ring and besides, isn't that a Canadian thing?"

Gibbs shook his head. "I forget sometimes you're just a kid yourself, DiNozzo. Engineers in the States have worn them since 1970 and no, it wouldn't be Riley's personally but perhaps his old man's?"

Tony scratched his head. "Possibly."

Gibbs fingered the ring thoughtfully. "I'm heading back to the bullpen. Keep me up to date if you find anything."

"Gonna talk with Riley?"

"I more have my sights on Fornell."

Tony's mouth formed a silent 'oh' as Gibbs left the room.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs entered the bullpen deep in thought. He sat at his desk, locking his sidearm and credentials in his desk drawer out of habit. He leaned his elbows on his desk and rested his head in his hands, massaging his temples. Just about everything ached: his head, his knees, and his heart. And he was second guessing everything in his life, his ability to be a lead agent, his gut instincts, and his parenting competence…his very sanity even.

"Mr. Gibbs!" A small cheerful voice rang out in the bullpen and Gibbs looked up to see Janessa come bounding up to him, leaping into his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck so tightly that it surprised him and worried him at the same time. The little pink cast on her arm reminded him of how close she had come to being seriously hurt. Gibbs couldn't help but smile when he saw all the signatures on the cast. The blond headed imp in his arms was too cute to resist around NCIS. He enveloped her in a tight embrace and stroked the back of her soft blonde hair affectionately. She was a breath of fresh air to be sure.

"Any news, Jethro?"

Gibbs bit the inside of his lip as he forced his head to clear enough to face his father who limped into the bullpen minutes after Janessa. His eyes made contact with the older man and he subtly shook his head. He did not want to discuss this in front of Janessa. He hoped the old man got the hint so he didn't need to make it audible. Gibbs kissed the small, squirming entity on his lap. So much had happened since he'd last held her in his arms. Suddenly he felt extremely thankful that Abby had contacted Jack. It made life a whole hell of a lot simpler for him knowing that Janessa was in good hands.

Gibbs peeled the child's small arms from his neck and he took a close look at her. She looked good…pink-cheeked and sparkly eyes. He lifted his eyes briefly to the ceiling, giving thanks to whoever was in charge of the world for the small girl's resiliency and sweet innocence. Janessa's age coupled with her wild and creative imagination engulfed her in a wonderful safety net.

"What have you and Papa Jack been doing?"

The little girl's eyes sparkled as she squirmed in his arms. "I'm gonna goes to the zoo today, Mr. Gibbs. I'm gonna see monkeys and elfalumps."

Gibbs laughed. "Elfalumps? Don't you mean elephants?"

Janessa shook her head adamantly. "No, not elephants. Elfalumps…you know, like what Pooh Bear and Piglet are scaret of." Her eyes got very big as she spoke. "I hope there aren't any woozles because they're lots scarier than elfalumps."

Gibbs looked at his father who shrugged. Gibbs scratched his head trying to clear the cobwebs enough to figure out what his young daughter was trying to communicate.

Janessa squirmed some more and escaped his arms. She put her hands up to her ears and waved them around as she began to sing a song. "An elfalump or woozle is very confusel. The elfalump or woosel is very sly- sly - sly – sly. They come in ones and twoosels but if they so choosels before your eyes you'll see them multiply- pie-pie-pie."

Gibbs and his dad both couldn't help laughing at the small girl's antics. Gibbs stood up and scooped the little girl up in his arms, planting a kiss on her head.

"It's Heffalump, silly goose, not elfalump and a Heffalump _is_ an elephant. Piglet and Pooh have wild imaginations just like you!" He tickled her as she shrieked.

"She misses you, Leroy, "commented Jackson, giving Gibbs a knowing look.

Gibbs nodded. He missed her too. He was beyond grateful that his dad was with Janessa in his absence. It was easy to see the comfortable relationship the two had with one another. Janessa was in good hands.

"When is Aimee coming home, daddy?"

Gibbs' breath caught in his throat. Janessa was a bright child and she deserved an answer to her question. He looked at her big blue eyes, wide with wonderment. He balanced her on his hip for a moment and then sat her on his desk.

"We still haven't found her yet, Ness," he said gently.

Janessa's eyes filled with tears. "But she's been losted for a long time. How come you can't find her?"

Gibbs' heart skipped a beat in his chest. He had the same concern and question. The longer Aimee was missing, the closer they were to losing her forever. Possibly the girl's only saving grace right now was how valuable she was to Brody. Brody had a lot of connections in the FBI, probably more than anyone knew. He might have been in jail, under lock and key but Gibbs was under no false assumptions, Brody was connected and he was dangerous.

"Tony, Tim and Ziva are out collecting clues right now, sweetheart. We're going to find her. Don't you worry." Gibbs brushed a rolling tear from her pink cheek with his thumb and kissed her little brow. "Now, when are you and Papa Jack going to the zoo?"

Janessa's bottom lip quivered, not being so easily sidetracked. "Aimee likes the zoo too, Mr. Gibbs."

"I know she does, Ness, and we'll make sure she gets a chance to visit the Heffalumps when she gets home."

Gibbs looked closer at Janessa, seeing the dark circles under her blue eyes. The small child had become so good at bouncing back from the trauma that he often took her for granted. Aimee was the one who gave him his most difficulties and Janessa was often overshadowed. Janessa rubbed at her eyes and sniffled; her small hands were trembling a little as she heaved a loud sigh. She looked worn. They all looked worn. Gibbs looked at his father and could see the weariness in his face as well. Things were complicated and a huge massive feeling of foreboding hovered in the air wherever they went. There was no escape from it. Gibbs wrapped Janessa in a tight embrace and she melted into it.

"I miss her," whispered the little girl, her voice muffled in Gibbs dress jacket.

Jackson cleared his throat. "Well, if we don't get going, we'll end up standing in line for tickets. C'mon, Janessa, let's go to the zoo."

Janessa clung to Gibbs and shook her head. "I don't wanna go. I wanna stay here." She pushed Gibbs away and looked up at him with her teary blue eyes. "I'm gonna help you find Aimee!"

Gibbs saw a determination set into her features. He'd learned over time to read Aimee and Janessa's body language. Aimee tended to be harder to read but Janessa was more of an open book.

"Your daddy won't be able to do his job, Nessie, if he's worried about you," said Jackson, attempting to sidetrack Janessa and pull her into his arms. Janessa stiffened and shrieked when he touched her. Gibbs clenched his jaw tightly as he threw his dad a knowing look. Gibbs wasn't the least bit surprised by her actions. Janessa deserved her time to have a meltdown. Big feelings weren't always convenient. Gibbs scooped the small girl up into his arms and hugged her some more. He understood. Janessa wasn't trying to be difficult.

"It's okay, dad. She can stay with me for a bit. Why don't you go take a break, get a coffee and come back in an hour?"

Jackson nodded and reached out to rub the small child's back. He planted a kiss on the back of her head. "Take care of your daddy, honey."

Janessa rested her head on Gibbs' shoulder and stuck her thumb in her mouth as they both watched Jackson limp away. Gibbs cuddled the small girl and rubbed her back lovingly.

"I miss you too, Ness." Gibbs tightened his embrace and he felt Janessa body relax in his arms, some of her earlier tension melting away. He walked over to his desk and sat down, straddling her legs over his so he could see her face. He pulled her thumb from her mouth and smiled at her.

"Is Papa Jack feeding you good?"

Janessa licked her lips and went to put her thumb in her mouth again but Gibbs stopped her. Janessa smirked as she yanked her hand away and managed to pop her thumb back into her mouth.

Gibbs smiled at her and sighed. "You're a monkey. You know that?" Janessa giggled, the remnant of tears still shimmering in her eyes. Gibbs poked her nose making her giggle more.

"How's your arm? Does it hurt anymore?"

"Nope," said Janessa with her thumb still in her mouth.

Gibbs held up her casted arm, reading the names on it. "Agent St. Claire? How'd you manage to get him to sign your cast? He is the grumpiest old codger in the whole building, even grumpier than me and that's saying a lot."

Janessa shrugged. "You're not grumpy all the time, and Mr. Sintclair likes me."

Gibbs laughed. Everyone liked the little munchkin; that was for sure and for certain. Gibbs pulled her thumb out of her mouth again. "Stop doing that. It'll make your teeth grow crooked."

"Mr. Gibbs, can we get Aimee and go to the zoo today?" she said, ignoring the words she had heard him say time and time again. Her little brow suddenly furrowed.

Gibbs frowned. "I know all of this is hard for you to understand, Ness, but we're working hard to find Aimee. Today, you'll have to go to the zoo with Papa Jack without me and Aimee but when your sister is home, I promise I will take you, okay?"

Without warning, Janessa threw her body backward, letting out a loud shriek of protest. On reflex, Gibbs managed to keep her from flipping backward on the floor. Janessa had picked up a habit of doing this lately and it concerned Gibbs that one day he was going to be caught off his guard and drop her. Gibbs hugged her to his chest lovingly, trying to calm her angry cries. He couldn't even imagine what it was like to be five years old and trying to understand things. He was a grown man and he had a hard time wrapping his head around everything.

"Aww, Nessie bear, it's going to be okay," he murmured into her ear softly as she succumbed to her sobs in his arms. This time he didn't stop her when her thumb found its way to her mouth. Any comfort was good comfort at this point.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs poured himself another coffee and sat down across from Fornell in Director Shepard's office. Jenn was in meetings all afternoon off-site and her office was the best place for quiet, private conversation.

"I don't know anything else, Jethro."

Gibbs took a long drink from his mug and set it down with a thud. Fornell jumped in spite of himself. Tobias Fornell and Gibbs had been friends for a very long time. They knew one another's tells. Gibbs had reached his limit.

"There is no way in hell Brody can have anything to do with this, Jethro. It's impossible."

Gibbs shook his head. "Makayla said she distinctly heard Aimee talking to Brody…"

"I don't care what she thinks she heard, Jethro. I'm telling you it's impossible. The man can't even take a dump unless he's monitored."

"Why can't I talk to him?"

Now it was Fornell's turn to sigh in irritation. They had been playing the same monkey and weasel game ever since Jackson Gibbs had managed to pry Janessa from Gibbs' neck an hour ago. Gibbs had been distracted and not on his game ever since and kept demanding the same information.

"Because we both know you don't want to _talk_ to him, Jethro."

Gibbs sighed loudly. He couldn't deny it. A few unsupervised minutes with Brody would be the last.

"Who is the kid?"

"Jenn's niece."

"How do you know she's not feeding you a line?"

"Why would she do that?"

"Why'd you have to chase her and drag her back to NCIS?"

Gibbs looked surprised.

"Abby told me…" began Fornell, answering Gibbs' question before he could articulate it. "Where is this kid anyway? I wouldn't mind asking her a few questions myself."

"She's moving some boxes for me…"

Fornell smirked. "What she do?"

Gibbs stood to his feet. "It's complicated. Give me your word that Brody isn't orchestrating this and I'll let it drop. DiNozzo and the rest of the team are combing the place where we found Aimee's pants as we speak. We'll find something and so help me if the FBI is involved…"

This time Fornell stood up, holding both hands up and looking chagrined, "Don't even go there, Gibbs, please."

As Gibbs willed himself to simmer down, a knock was heard at the door. Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face and walked over to open the door. Makayla's sheepish face greeted him on the other side. She swallowed hard when the tension in the room hit her in the face.

"Can I…umm…talk to you, Agent Gibbs?" Her voice quivered as she spoke.

Gibbs nodded and waved her into the room, shutting the door behind her. Fornell was still standing looking irritated. Gibbs cleared his throat lightly, his way of reminding his friend that the temperature of the room needed to cool. The two of them had had plenty of heated conversations through the years that had to simmer to a cool very quickly because of Fornell's daughter, Emily, entering the room. Emily wasn't easily fooled so the men had become very good at disguising their disagreements.

"Makayla, this is Agent Fornell. He works for the FBI."

Makayla swallowed again, licking her dry lips as she looked up at Fornell and holding out a shaky hand towards him. "Hello, sir."

Fornell softened and some of the tension escaped from him as he shook the teen's hand with a friendly smile. Gibbs and Fornell exchanged a brief look and Fornell headed towards the door.

"I'll be in touch, Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded and Fornell left the room without another word. He turned his attention to Makayla and noticed how she squirmed under his glance. Gibbs softened his demeanour and did his best to look less combative. He had so much tension in his shoulders and neck, that when he forced himself to relax, he could literally feel his muscles groan in relief.

Makayla's lower lip trembled as she continued to look at him and Gibbs frowned in response.

"Hey, Mak, are we okay? Abbs said you were feeling really upset by what happened earlier today. Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "No, it's okay."

"You sure? I don't want any hard feeling between us."

"Yes…um, I mean, there isn't…that is, if things are okay between us which they are, right?"

Gibbs smiled and nodded approaching her and pulling her in for a hug. He felt the tension in her body as he held her. He rubbed circles on her back and felt some of the tension melt away.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about that conversation before, Agent Gibbs. I wasn't thinking right…"

Gibbs pulled away and pulled her towards a chair. "Sit down, Mak." Makayla sat.

Gibbs pulled a chair out and straddled it, resting his elbows on the back of the chair. "Can you tell me anything else you remember?"

Makayla rubbed tears from her eyes, looking much more relieved than she had when she'd first entered the room.

"I told you everything…"

"Tell me again," he encouraged.

Makayla sighed. "I walked in the room and Aimee was on your phone."

"The one in my bedroom?"

"Yah. When I asked her who she was talking to, she hushed me and waved at me to shut up. She was really upset and most of what she said didn't make any sense from what I heard. She nodded a lot and was crying. I tried to get her to tell me who she was talking to but she got mad and screamed at me to shut up. Then she told whoever it was on the phone that she was talking to the cat."

"Could you hear anything the person on the phone was saying?"

Makayla shook her head. "Not really but it was a man's voice. I could hear that much."

"Ok, go on…"

"Well, after a while she hung up and threw the phone across the room and was crying and sobbing. I tried to ask her what was wrong but she wouldn't tell me and she made me promise not to tell you anything. I promised I wouldn't tell anything. I kinda didn't care so much either because I was thinking about myself…" Her voice trailed off and Makayla choked back her own sob. "I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs, I should have told you right away. I never thought she'd run away…"

Gibbs reached out and brushed away the tears with his thumb. "I know, Mackie. No one is blaming you, honey. This isn't your fault."

Makayla's eyes widened and she shook her head. "She said her father told her to go to him. I asked her who he was but she said it was none of my business. I should have pushed her more but I didn't. It's my fault. I could have stopped her if I wasn't being so selfish."

"No, Makayla. This isn't your fault! Yes, you should have told me right away, but Aimee running away is not your fault." He cupped her cheek with his hand. "Remember when you ran away? You made a choice, right?"

Makayla nodded, her eyes still wide.

"Was it your Aunt Jenn's fault that you ran away?"

"No."

"Was it your parent's fault?

"No."

"Whose choice was it to run away?"

Makayla blinked back a new batch of tears. "M-mine," she managed to whisper.

"Exactly. You made the choice to run away. That's why you felt the consequences. Aimee made the choice to run away and it wasn't the first time. She has run away many, many times and now, as much as it sucks, she is feeling the consequences of her decisions. I hate it so much and my heart is breaking. I'm terrified for her. Running away was her choice, but the things that may or may not be happening to her are not her fault. Do understand what I'm saying?"

Makayla nodded. Gibbs stood and pulled her into another hug

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs." Makayla sobbed. "I promise I won't run away again. I promise!"

Gibbs kissed the top her head, stroking the back of her hair gently. He had tears in his eyes as well. His whole being was wishing he was having this conversation with Aimee. His arms ached to hold her and he prayed he'd have the chance to have a similar conversation with Aimee in the near future.


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N**_

 _ **Thanks for the reviews and kind regards.**_

 _ **Special thanks to The General *grin***_

 ** _I would like to make a little disclaimer at this point in my story. I have very little knowledge of the Marines or the military. I stop and research where I can to try and make everything authentic and true as possible but I'm sure I've made a million mistakes. I hope you are enjoying the story nonetheless. I also appreciate those of you who try and correct and educate me where I go astray. I've learned a lot and I try to make corrections where I can. For instance, apparently, AWOL is not a term used for Marines...UA which stands for unauthorised absence is the correct term. Who knew? It's so interesting learning about it all._**

 ** _Also, Gibbs refers to Riley as a "boot" in this chapter. A boot basically is a Marine recruit who has graduated from Recruit training. It's usually a pejorative term but we all know Gibbs doesn't mean it like that and Riley knows it as well._**

 ** _Spring break here...and I use that term loosely considering it has done nothing but dump snow on us and my husband and I are both sick with healthy kids...all trapped in our house with no routine! My days have been full of barely scraping by...movies, pajama days and lots of soup and finger foods. Please, spring come...please sunshine come!_**

Riley paced the conference room for what seemed like hours, stopping finally to stare out the window. The DC skyline was stunning as the sun began to set over the buildings. He grimaced as his mind berated him with images of the little Aimee. He didn't know why but for some reason he felt responsible for her, and part of him blamed himself for her being captured on his watch. He didn't know or even understand what was going on, and he didn't even know who to believe. He had felt so confident in his first assumptions that his mind still hadn't come to grips with what might actually be true. He ran a shaky hand through his dirty blonde hair. He could vaguely smell his own stench and his stomach rumbled loudly as he also smelled fresh muffins and coffee in the room. The agent who had escorted him to the room had told him to help himself. He'd stubbornly refused but now was changing his mind. He didn't even remember the last time he had anything decent to eat. He'd been subsisting on candy bars and garbage he could fish out of dumpsters. Not a pretty existence at all. He just hadn't figured out how to rise above his circumstances quite yet but he knew he would. Or at least he thought he would.

Riley spun on his heel when he heard the door behind him open. A petite dark haired woman entered the room, closing the door behind her. It was the same agent who had brought him in. He took a few steps backward until his back was to the wall. The female agent had shown him exactly what she was made of in the few minutes he'd scuffled with her. She was not someone he cared to mess with again. It already messed with his head that she was a woman. He thought she'd be easy to incapacitate. His intentions were to escape not hurt her. His momma had brought him up well enough. He'd never hit a woman while he was in his right mind and in control of himself. He'd seen his father beat up his mother more than he ever wanted to admit. He lived with that guilt daily.

The woman quietly crossed the room and poured a hot cup of coffee. She picked up a muffin and offered both to him.

"You should eat," she said simply.

Riley's stomach growled loudly in protest causing his face to redden. "No, thanks."

"You have nothing to prove to me, Riley. I know you have been on the streets for a while. You must be past the point of hungry."

Riley stiffened. He didn't need anyone feeling sorry for him. "I'm fine. When do I get out of here?"

"You do not. At least not until Agent Gibbs has a chance to speak with you." The agent set the mug and muffin on the table and put her hands on her hips. "Look, Riley, we both know that you are in some trouble and you are hardly more than a kid. You are in Marine fatigues so either you are a Marine or you stole them. Both cases are not good."

Riley's eyes flashed in anger. Who was she to call him out on anything?

"I will save you the trouble of lying to me. Your name is Riley Janssen. You are 18 years old and have been reported UA from basic training for 30 days now. Shall I can go on, yes?"

Riley bit his lip but remained silent.

"How did you get missed up with Aimee?"

Riley felt tears burn in the back of his eyes but he blinked hard to keep them at bay.

"What shall I call you?" he asked suddenly, deflecting the questioning for a moment in order to organise his thoughts more. It was obvious he wasn't going to going anywhere soon and he needed to get his story straight and well versed if he was going to get out of this relatively unscathed.

"I am Agent David."

Ziva took stock of the young man standing before her. He was well built for his age, muscular and tall. His baby face gave away his youth. Despite being out on his own for a month, his face was still relatively clean-shaven, showing his youth very honestly. Stubble could be seen in the form of a five o'clock shadow but the growth was slow coming, quite normal for a boy his age. She picked up the fruit filled muffin from the table and removed the paper, taking an impressive and animated bite.

"Mm, these are delicious. Agent Braddock's wife has been off on maternity leave for almost six months and she loves to send in freshly baked muffins." Ziva made a show of chewing and savouring the muffin. She could see the longing in Riley's eyes. He was hungry without a doubt but his pride wasn't allowing him to give in.

Just then the door flew open and in walked Tony followed by Gibbs. Tony made a beeline for the muffins and coffee while Gibbs stood to stare at Riley with his steely grey-blue eyes.

"So, Janssen, care to tell me why the hell you are UA from basic training before I hand your ass on a platter to your D.I.?"

Riley stiffened at the no-nonsense words. He looked at Gibbs but didn't say anything.

"Oh geez, Braddock's wife is a culinary genius!" exclaimed Tony, stuffing a muffin in his mouth almost whole. He was famished and hadn't eaten since lunch.

Gibbs hit him with an irritated glare.

Tony shrugged his shoulders and sat on the edge of the table chewing his muffin. "You've got to try one of these, Boss."

Ziva smirked and sat at the table, continuing to eat her muffin all the while staring at Riley sympathetically.

Gibbs turned to Ziva. "He eat anything?"

Ziva shook her head.

Gibbs walked to the refreshment table, grabbed a muffin and held it out to Riley. "Take it, kid."

Riley shook his head.

Gibbs walked over to him, grabbing his arm and pushing the food into his hand. "It's not a request, Private. You look like you haven't eaten in days."

Riley took the muffin and held it his hand, never taking his eyes off of Gibbs.

Gibbs brushed his hands off and went back to pour himself a coffee. Food he could live without for the time being but coffee he needed for survival. He took a long drink before turning to face Riley again.

"Your D.I. is Adams, am I correct?"

Riley blinked and broke off a piece of the muffin in his hands. He was feeling weak at the knees from the lack of regular meals and despite his stubborn pride, the food smelled good.

"He's one hell of a hard-assed D.I. or so I've heard."

"Yes, sir," Riley murmured and shoved a piece of muffin in his mouth, almost trembling in anticipation.

"Gunnery Sergeant James Adams?" questioned Tony, whistling muffin particles from his mouth.

Ziva frowned. "Should I know who he is?"

Gibbs nonchalantly took another sip of his coffee. "Scuttlebutt says he either makes or breaks his men. Thing is no one ever complains about him. Seems like his men either pass basic training or leave in pieces, but not a one has ever gone UA before…until now." Gibbs eyed Riley who squirmed under the scrutiny. "Doesn't look good on a D.I. at all."

Tony whistled again. "I bet he is one pissed Gunny."

Riley swallowed the muffin bite and felt it slide down his dry throat and hit his stomach like a stone. It was all he could do to keep the one bite down. But then something within him snapped as images of Aimee's face came to his mind once again.

"Word is you used to be a Gunny yourself, Agent Gibbs," countered Riley flippantly, almost shocked when he heard the words trip off his own lips. "Is that why you're so quick to smack around your own kid?" The words came out sharp, dripping like venom, and as much as Gibbs wanted to correct the young Marine at that moment, he didn't. Riley had managed to say more in those few words than he had ever before and Gibbs was willing to use it to his advantage. Riley hadn't openly admitted what happened to him but it was enough to bring in Adams and it was exactly what Gibbs was hoping for.

All eyes were on Gibbs as the words lingered heavily in the room. The elephant in the room had been released. Tony stood to his feet as he finished chewing his food and moved to the door. He didn't need any requests to be made because they had already discussed what Gibbs had been looking for from Riley beforehand. Riley had said just enough.

"On it, Boss," said Tony as he left the room, quickly shutting the conference door behind him.

Gibbs pulled out a chair and sat down, still holding his mug and looking very much composed. On the inside, he was anything but calm.

"I suppose Aimee's face was still pretty scraped up when you found her. How long was she with you?"

Riley clenched his jaw and tossed the rest of his muffin in the nearby wastepaper basket. "The question is why was she out on the streets, to begin with? What is she, like eight years old? If she's your kid, why'd she run away? What did you do to her?"

Gibbs sighed. "It's complicated, Riley…"

Riley huffed. "I'll just be it is."

Gibbs clenched his jaw, reminding himself who he was and where he was. "Where did you get the coordinates?"

Riley's face paled. "Did you find her? Is she okay?" The words tumbled from his lips and Gibbs could see the concern on the young Marine's face. It was obvious that Aimee had made an impression on him.

Gibbs watched Ziva walk over and offer Riley a chair. Riley scowled and backed away from her.

"Sit down, Riley," said Gibbs, tapping his finger on the table.

Riley's face paled further and he sat down. The teenager was tired, and he was hungry. Ziva set a hot cup of coffee in front of him and a plate of fruit and a muffin.

"You should eat something, Riley," Ziva said softly.

Riley's eyes spoke one story and his hands spoke another. He pushed the offering away but didn't get up from his chair. Gibbs pulled his chair closer and grabbed a strawberry from his plate, popping it in his mouth.

"We didn't find her, but we did find this." Gibbs held out his hand and pulled the pinky ring from his finger. He set the ring on the table in front of Riley. "Is it yours?"

Riley fidgeted nervously. "Uh, yah…well, no but I had it. I gave it to Aimee as a show of friendship. She was pretty freaked out. It was hard to keep her with me. She kept insisting she needed to be outside so she would be found."

Gibbs furrowed a brow. "Found by who?"

Riley looked away, his jaw firmly set. He looked like he was debating on talking anymore and then he turned and narrowed an eye at Ziva. "Where did that other agent go?"

"He is going to bring in your D.I. for questioning," Ziva said without hesitating. None of them were there to lie to Riley. They just wanted to help him.

Riley jumped to his feet and shoved the table forward in angry. His chair fell over behind him. "What the hell? NO! You can't!" Riley stepped forward and pounded both fists on the table. "Call him back!"

Gibbs rose to his feet and walked closer to Riley. The teenager was tall but Gibbs was taller. The teen was muscular and physically fit but Gibbs was intimidating for his size, and he had a lot of practice staring down perps. Riley was no match.

"Sit down." Gibbs' voice was firm.

"You have no business calling my D.I. I never asked you too."

Gibbs stepped closer, almost in Riley's personal bubble. "You hard of hearing, Private?"

Riley blinked.

"I said sit down."

Riley pinched his nose hard and took a few steps back. He looked behind him and retrieved his chair, sitting down once more. Ziva adjusted the table once more and looked at Gibbs.

"ZIver, give us a few minutes." Gibbs picked up the ring from the table. "Bring this to Abbs and see what she can get from it."

Ziva nodded, gave Riley one last look and left the room.

Riley swallowed hard as Ziva left the room leaving him alone with Gibbs. His heart rate increased and his stomach churned. He didn't trust Gibbs and still thought the man had abused Aimee.

"Listen, Riley. You are UA right now. That means you're in a whole mess of trouble. If you don't face the music now, it's going to get a whole hell of a lot worse for you later. Running away isn't going to solve things for you."

Riley's face reddened but he remained silent.

Gibbs heaved a sigh. He'd had his fill of runaways to last a lifetime. What the hell was it with kids thinking running away would solve their problems. First Aimee, then Makayla and now Riley. Why was he so lucky? Gibbs felt like he didn't even know where to start and end with Riley. He pinched the bridge of his nose and forced himself to take a deep breath.

"How many more butts do I have to kick today?" he muttered to himself as he began to pace the room. Gibbs stopped at the window and turned to look at Riley. Obviously, his words resonated with the teen because the kid's face had paled significantly.

"Relax, kid."

Riley clenched his fists together, his jaw set firmly. "Call off your agent and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Gibbs shook his head. "Uh-uh, no deal. You're going to tell me what I want to know anyway."

Riley scowled. "Go to hell, Agent Gibbs."

"Dammit, Riley, what are you afraid of, huh?"

"You're not my ole man so just leave me the hell alone."

Gibbs crossed the room and stood over Riley intimidating. "No, I'm not because if it was your ole man here, he'd have already kicked your sorry ass all around the room, wouldn't he?"

Riley stiffened and the colour drained from his face.

Gibbs softened and placed a gentle hand on Riley's shoulder. Gibbs felt Riley stiffened at his touch but he didn't pull away so Gibbs left his hand there. "That's not my M.O., Riley. It's not how I work. You may suspect I abused, Aimee but I didn't. She slipped on my roof." Riley narrowed his eyes in disbelief but he also remembered the other agent saying the same thing. How did a little kid slip on a roof and why was she even on a roof to begin with?

Gibbs continued, "It's a hard tale to swallow but it's the truth. The point is, I wouldn't hurt Aimee. Right now, she's in a lot of danger and it's a complicated story to explain. You're just gonna have to trust what I say is the truth here. She took off because she's scared, and somewhere in her mixed up mind she thinks she's protecting me by running away. I dunno, maybe that same story holds true for you as well."

Riley's eyes widened a little.

"Anything you can tell me about Aimee is appreciated, Riley. Please. How did you know the coordinates?"

Riley trembled under Gibbs touch and tears ran down his face. He was exhausted beyond words. He was hungry and tired of running. "I tried to protect her," he managed to choke out.

"I believe you."

"I told those other agents before what happened…I'm good with numbers," he said quietly. "The woman had a communication device on her that was mostly making white noise but I heard numbers repeated. I'm not even sure she heard them but if she did, she ignored it. She knew my name though and knew I was UA. Said that if things had been different she would have helped me."

Gibbs dropped his hands to his sides taking in what Riley was telling him.

"Anything else?"

Riley dropped his head into his hands feeling completely wiped. He was beginning to second guess what he remembered, what he'd heard and what he'd said. He felt like the room was spinning and his head was throbbing. He really wished he could just sleep.

Gibbs walked to the window and stared blankly, lost in his thoughts for several minutes before speaking again.

"Try to get some sleep, Riley. There is a blanket in that cupboard, the blinds close to make the room darker, and the sofa is reasonably comfortable..."

Riley's head popped up. "Am I being detained?"

"For now, yes…"

"On what charges?"

Gibbs glared at him incredulously. "Are you serious?"

Riley groaned. He knew he didn't have a leg to stand on. He was lucky he was being allowed to sleep on a soft sofa in a quiet conference room, rather than being tossed in the Brig somewhere.

Gibbs continued to stare until Riley dropped his chin once more.

"Help yourself to the food. The door on your right is the head. No one will bother you again tonight. Try and get some shut-eye. If you need anything, push that button and ask. Any questions?" Gibbs pointed out the intercom on the wall above the light switch.

Riley nodded but remained quiet.

Gibbs went to the door and stopped to face Riley once more.

"I know a boot doesn't have much say in the Corps but abuse is never okay, Riley.

"I'm not even a boot," Riley answered, not looking up.

"How long?"

Riley lifted his chin, his pride showing at that moment. He had made it nearly 12 weeks before his D.I. nearly beat his head into the ground and drowned him, all on the same day. As much as Riley didn't want his attention to travel in that direction, his mind rebelled and more memories came crashing back enveloping him into a past he didn't want to remember.

 _Adams turned to the rest of the recruits. "Am I hurting Janssen?"_

 _The men stood stock-still, their mouths open like they were all about to say something in unison._

 _Riley struggled as the strong man held his head down under the tap of the sink. His face was covered in a pillowcase and his D.I. had been holding his face under the tap for what felt like hours. Riley felt like he was being drowned. He was gasping for breath but unable to say anything in his defence. His heart was beating so fiercely he thought it would leap out of his throat._

 _Just as Riley thought he might be able to catch his breath, the water was turned on again and he choked and gasped. He fought wildly to get free but his D.I. quite easily held him down._

 _"I didn't hear you! Am I hurting him?" shouted Adams again, his voice in a rage._

 _"No, sir," came the shout in unison._

 _"What am I doing?"_

 _Riley felt himself blacking out as the water continued to pour into his mouth and nose. No matter how much he fought and kicked, he could not free himself from the man's grasp. Just when he thought he'd lose consciousness, the water stopped. He sputtered and coughed, his lungs spasming and burning from lack of oxygen_

 _"Making a corrective action, sir."_

 _"Damned right, I am."_

 _Riley felt himself being hoisted to his feet and then his face smacked against the floor of the barracks head. As he laid there gasping for breath, he felt the steel-toed boot of his D.I. connect with his ribs several times._

"Riley!" came a faraway voice.

Riley's head snapped up suddenly and he shook his head to clear it.

"Where'd you go?" asked Gibbs, looking concerned.

Riley ran a shaky hand through his filthy hair. The first thing he wanted to do when Gibbs left was wash his hair in the sink. He didn't even care if he only had hand soap. It was better than not. He forced himself to remember the last thing Gibbs asked him and he answered softly.

"10 weeks."

Gibbs paused for a second while looking at Riley intensely and then said, "You've already survived the worse recruit training can offer."

Riley chuckled sardonically. "Is waterboarding supposed to be part of that training, sir?"

Gibbs inwardly cringed, not even knowing how to respond to Riley's words. Gibbs suspected Riley had a story to tell far worse than any of them knew. He didn't know much about the kid but it didn't take much to figure out he was a fighter and he was compassionate. Riley had risked his own skin to help Aimee. Gibbs owed him.

"You're a boot, Riley."

With those final words, Gibbs left the room. Once outside the door, Gibbs leaned against the door weakly feeling his stomach churning. Riley had said a lot without inferring anything. Gibbs couldn't wait to meet Riley's D.I.


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N Happy Spring! I wish I could say that that meant it was warm and sunny where I am...it's not and we are expecting snow and ice rain this weekend. I'm so not happy about that forecast!**_

 _ **Sorry, it's taken so long to post an update. My little family keeps me busy. Prom is approaching for my eldest daughter...which means dress shopping and hair and makeup and a slightly sappy mom. Two graduations this year...grade 8 and grade 12. *Sniff***_

 _ **I'm still plugging away at this story and hope you are enjoying it.**_

 ** _Much love,_**

 ** _Jenny Wren :)_**

Rick Almeida lowered the phone from his ear and stood to stare into space for several moments, just digesting the conversation. He wished he knew how he got from being decent to where he found himself now. He used to pride himself on his work. He had been proud to tell people he worked for the Bureau. Oh, he couldn't talk about anything specifically because everything was always confidential but he always was able to look himself in the mirror each day and know he was making a difference. He always felt like what he was doing was for the greater good. Now, he wasn't so sure.

Almeida took another look at the monitor across the room seeing the child hadn't moved from the spot he'd left her. It was disconcerting how still she was. He knew he hadn't hurt her. He walked across the room and hit the buzzer on the wall.

"Yah," came a muffled voice almost consumed by static.

"Check on the kid."

"She still blindfolded?"

"She hasn't moved a muscle."

Almeida hit the button again and ended the connection. He paced the room as he waited and then several minutes later a man entered the room, pulling the blanket off the little girl's face. Her mouth was still gagged and taped and she was blindfolded. There was no movement. Almeida felt his heart rate increase as he watched her stillness. Had she choked? Was she still alive? He watched as the man in the room shoved her roughly, not even eliciting a response from her. He shrugged and left the room once more. As much as Almeida wanted to, he couldn't ask the man to remove the blindfold. It was too dangerous for him and he'd refuse anyway. Almeida couldn't blame him either. They all had a lot to lose now, and besides, Aimee had already seen Almeida. One face was enough. True be told, it probably didn't matter now if she was dead anyway. Maybe it would have been kinder if she did aspirate on her own vomit.

Almeida pinched his nose and grimaced. "Son of a bitch," he muttered before slamming his fist on the wall several times and leaving the room. If he'd known how hard this was going to be, he would have never agreed to it. To hell with the greater good. How was it okay to sacrifice one child to save others? It wasn't.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

She felt the blindfold being removed from her eyes and the duct tape being gently removed from her mouth. She fought hard at the instinct to spit out the gag, lick her lips and wipe away the Aimee lay completely still. She didn't know how long she had been lying on the cot, or at least she thought it was a cot or a portable bed of some kind. She forced herself to lie very still but she could feel herself trembling and she couldn't stop the tears from flowing from her eyes. She didn't think it was possible to cry for as long as she had. The blindfold was sopping wet on her face. Her tears had even managed to escape and travel into her ears, pooling and muffling her hearing. She'd tried to lick her lips under the duct tape and push the gag in her mouth forward so she could swallow without choking. She felt about as hopeless as hopeless could be. She heard someone enter the room and felt herself being roughly manhandled once again. She forced herself not to move move, in fact, she held her breath, hoping whoever it was would think she was sleeping or maybe even dead and go away. She heaved a sigh of relief once she heard the person leave. Her mind was muddled, and she was having a difficult time staying focused on anyone thought. She was hungry and thirsty. She wished she was at home. With her sister. With Gibbs. Her tears increased when she allowed herself to focus too much on Janessa or Gibbs. She was smart enough to know that she'd never see either one of them again and it was her own doing. She wanted to pretend she was protecting them, but she wasn't sure about anything anymore.

She heard the door open again, and she bit down on her lip hard to keep from moving. Her fingernails dug into the palms of her hand. She concentrated on the pain. The pain kept her alert and focussed on something when her mind kept drifting off into an abyss she didn't recognise, similar to when her mother was murdered. Last time, her focus on keeping Janessa safe had grounded her but this time it was harder. She didn't love herself like she loved her sister.

moisture that had settled under the tape.

"Kid, wake up." The man prodded her gently.

Suddenly the room was filled with the aroma of tomato soup. Aimee's eyes fluttered and she struggled to keep them closed but it became impossible when she felt the warm liquid being put to her lips. Her eyes bolted open and she greedily sucked at the soup. Her eyes focused on the man holding her forward and feeding her the soup. His hair was dark black, and he had facial hair just as jet black on his chin. Aimee thought the hair on his chin reminded her of a goat.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" He said softly.

Aimee kept drinking. After a few minutes, he pulled the cup away from her lips and sat her up. Aimee cried out in pain as he cut at the duct tape around her wrists.

"Sorry, kid. The tape is a little tighter than I thought."

Once the tape freed her hands, Aimee pulled her arms to her face and scrubbed at her mouth and eyes. She stared at him as he stared at her. Silence enveloped them and made Aimee feel all the more uncomfortable. She couldn't tell if he was the enemy or her hero. The warm soup churned in her stomach.

"Don't look at me like that," he snapped, standing to his feet and firing the rest of the cup of soup against the wall. Tears blurred Aimee's vision once more as she watching the red liquid drip down the wall. It was reminiscent of blood and Aimee's stomach continued to churn uncomfortably until all at once, she leaned over and vomited the contents of her stomach onto the floor.

"I wanna go home!" she bellowed between heaving and sobbing.

The man jumped back, narrowly missing the flying vomit. He cursed angrily and continued to gape at Aimee.

"Please, just let me go home!" she sobbed, wiping her face and visibly trembling.

"Shut up, Kid. You and I both know that that isn't possible. I know you're not stupid, Aimee. That chip in your head contains valuable information and your life is no more important than the thousands of girls out there that we could save. Don't you get that?"

Aimee pulled her legs up to her chin. Her face was red from crying and she couldn't stop the tears. She was terrified.

"I never asked for that chip." Her voice changed and became heartbreakingly quiet.

Almeida licked his lips and raked a shaky hand through his dark hair. He knew that was the truth. No one would want a chip containing sensitive data implanted into their head, least of all a little kid. The whole thing was insidiously heinous on every level. What would have possessed anyone to use a child as a scapegoat, knowing that her life would have to be sacrificed in order to save others? If it wasn't so pathetic, it might have been noteworthy on some insane level.

"I know, kid." Almeida's voice was kinder now, gentler. None of this was her fault.

"What's going to happen now?"

Almeida scratched his head and shrugged. He didn't have an answer to that question just yet. He was waiting for his orders.

"I was thinking we could play a little game. Do you like games, Aimee?"

Aimee wiped at the tears on her face, staring at the man in disbelief. "What kind of game?"

Almeida reached into his back pocket and pulled out a deck of cards. He held them up. "Ever played Crazy Eights?"

Aimee shrugged and dropped her shoulders. "Yah, I play that with Gibbs."

Almeida pulled the table from the corner over, along with a chair and sat down, ushering Aimee over. He pulled out a ham sandwich from inside his sports jacket and dropped it on the table.

"Eat that and you can tell me about Agent Gibbs. I hear he is one tough cookie," said Almeida while he dealt out some cards on the table.

Aimee didn't move but continued staring at Almeida. He pointed at the sandwich expectantly. Aimee sucked in her bottom lip and stood to her feet, walking over to the table. She stopped directly in front of her captor and looked at him, tears still cascading down her cheeks. She took the sandwich, unwrapping it, and hungrily taking a large bite. Her stomach had rejected the soup but she hoped it would accept the sandwich as a peace offering. She hadn't remembered being this hungry in a very long time.

Almeida dealt the cards and watched as Aimee devoured the sandwich. Aimee chewed and swallowed and eventually finished the entire sandwich.

"Will you play?"

Aimee narrowed her eyes at him. Her heart thumped against her chest in protest. She didn't want to be pacified with a card game. She wasn't a stupid nine years old. She had lived more life than most adults. She might have looked like a kid but she knew a little more than the average girl her age. She knew it was a plot to distract her. She knew it was a way to help pass the time. She knew he only wanted to ease his own mind. The question was how did she want to play along? Tears filled her eyes once more as the sandwich trundled dangerously in her gut. Aimee was tired. Maybe just maybe, she wanted to be like her sister. Janessa used her fantasies to protect her. Aimee knew she didn't realise that was what she was doing but it was true. Fairies and make-believe protected Janessa from all the scary realities.

Aimee sighed and picked up her pile of cards. Maybe just this once, she would pretend too.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs sat at his desk reading over all he could on James Adams. It was his distraction. Keeping his mind busy allowed him peace from his unending paralyzing agony of distressing about Aimee. Any leads they turned up on Aimee always ended up cold. Gibbs hated waiting but it was all he could do at this point. His gut told him Brody was involved but now the ball was in his court. They all had to wait for the guy to make a move. The part that irritated Gibbs the most is being forced to trust. He didn't trust anyone in the FBI. He'd stop trusting them the day he found out who Brody was. As much as he understood how insidious human trafficking was, he didn't care. Aimee was his little girl. He wanted her back. Alive and well.

"Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked up to see his first in command staring down at him. Tony's face was pale. The usual playful, smart-aleck demeanour absent replaced by something Gibbs couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Something wrong, DiNozzo?"

Tony pinched his nose, blinked hard and turned away from him, staring out the large window in the bullpen. Gibbs stood to his feet and walked around his desk, stopping when he was directly in front of Tony, making a point of invading his personal space. Gibbs wasn't in the mood to play games.

"Hard of hearing, Tony?"

Tony shook his head, emitting a half laugh before brushing an unexpected tear from his cheek. Gibbs stiffened at the sight. It wasn't like Tony to be emotional about much of anything, at least not since his relationship with Jeanne Benoit. Gibbs had known Tony a long time and he could read the younger man's tells. Something was seriously wrong.

"My dad has one hell of a way of picking lousy timing…" managed Tony, turning his face further away from Gibbs.

Gibbs followed Tony until he was standing inside his personal bubble once again.

"What's going on?"

Tony half laughed again but it sounded more like a half sob this time. "Did I ever tell you about when my mom died, Gibbs?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, many times, Tony. Your dad was a real piece of work back then. You didn't deserve to be treated like that. What happened wasn't your fault."

"Tell him that," scoffed Tony, his voice tight.

Gibbs frowned. "What'd he say to you?"

Tony's face tightened further and he was convulsively swallowing, struggling to keep his composure. Gibbs narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Tony's appearance further. His pulse picked up a little in his chest when he noticed a faint bruise forming on Tony's jaw.

"He took a swing at you," Gibbs said quietly. It wasn't a question. It was a statement dripping with disheartened bitterness.

Tony nodded. "It's not what you think, Gibbs."

It was Gibbs' turn to scoff. "Then what the hell should I think, huh, DiNozzo? That the son of a bitch just accidentally took a swing at you when he really intended to hug you?"

Tony shuddered at the anger in Gibbs' voice. He was second-guessing his decision to talk to his mentor and friend. Gibbs had a lot on his plate and perhaps, he had reached his limit.

"I hit him first."

"Good."

"Good? Is that all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say, DiNozzo?" Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face and took a few steps backwards, all the while not taking his eyes from Tony. "I'm sorry, Tony. I get he's your ole man but you've spent too much time under his thumb. He treats you like a piece of trash and you let him."

Tony's face reddened, revealing the forming bruised on his chin. Gibbs grimaced further when he saw it so prominent on his protégés face; seeing the pain on Tony's face made Gibbs soften immediately. He hadn't intended to place blame on Tony. The kid was a survivor and in no way to blame for his crappy upbringing.

"What happened?"

Tony shook his head. He no longer wanted to talk. "Forget it. I should have known better than…"

"Shut up, DiNozzo. I'm in no mood for your theatrics," snapped Gibbs, stepping into Tony's personal bubble once more. "Why'd you hit Senior?"

Tony clenched his jaw tightly, tears swimming in his green eyes. "It's always my fault, Gibbs. I can't carry his guilt and my guilt too. I just can't do it anymore." The younger man's Adam's apple did a convulsive dance in his throat.

Gibbs put a firm hand on Tony's shoulder. "Then stop carrying it." Tears escaped down Tony's cheeks. Gibbs was the one and only person with which he allowed himself to vulnerable. Tony didn't know why but Gibbs had a way of drawing it out of him. "My mother took her own life, Tony. You know that. I blamed my father and I blamed myself. What good did it do? Nothing. It only served to tear me and my father apart."

"It's not the same, Gibbs. Jackson is a good man."

Gibbs nodded. "I know that now but, at the time, I was stupid, angry kid. The point is, Tony, Senior is not to blame any more than you are for what happened to your mother. You both have to stop carrying around that guilt."

"He blames me…"

"I know. He's wrong. Step outside yourself for a moment and stop looking at things from the perspective of an 8-year-old. Every time your father steps back into your life, you revert back to that 8-year-old boy. You're a grown man, Tony."

Tony rubbed his forehead and wiped the traitorous tears from his face. He growled loudly.

Gibbs smirked. "Why'd you hit him?"

"He pissed me off."

"He always pisses you off, DiNozzo. What was different this time?"

"He won't take no for an answer and when he gets backed into a corner, he always swings below the belt. I snapped."

"When was the last time you slept, Tony?"

Tony chuckled sardonically. "Pot calling the kettle black, Boss?"

Gibbs half smirked. "Shut up and answer the question."

"None of us are going to sleep until we find Aimee, Gibbs. Like I told my father, I don't have time for his drama in my life right now. I told him to get the hell out of my life until he can get his act together. I'm not financing his stupidity any longer."

Gibbs' smirk turned into a proud smile. He reached out and grabbed Tony by the chin, tipping it up further into the light. "Let me guess? That's when he slugged you?"

Tony pulled away, "Pretty much. It's not anything I'm not used too. I told him to get the hell out of my apartment, so he left, but not before he made his mark on my face so I wouldn't forget who was boss."

"He's not your boss anymore, Tony."

Tony nodded. "He's never been, my boss. Hell, he's never even been a father. He stopped even trying after my mom died. After that, he picked alcohol and business as his family."

"I'm sorry, Tony."

Tony licked his lips and stood a little taller in front of Gibbs. "It's all good."

"No, Tony, it's not but for what it's worth, I'm proud of you. You're a good man despite your ole man."

Tony smiled and walked towards his desk quietly. Gibbs watched him, wishing he could say something or do something to change things. He'd meant what he said. Tony was a good man despite his upbringing. Somehow, the younger man had risen above his circumstances and made something of his life. Perhaps it was the military school background that had made a difference, Gibbs didn't know. Some people were left with a bad taste in their mouths after attending military school. Gibbs had never had the pleasure or displeasure of attending one, but he'd heard stories. The right school, with the right mentors, could make a huge difference in a youth's life. Gibbs sighed and returned to his desk, his mind still on Tony as he sat down. His head was ready to explode with everything that was spinning in it. How much more uncertainty could he take?

"Jethro!"

Gibbs' eyes widened when he heard the voice coming from above him. Immediately he was on his feet so he could see Jenny on the second level of the bullpen. She was standing outside of MTAC. Gibbs took in the expression on Jenny's Shepard's face. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide. Whatever she was about to say wasn't going to be something he wanted to hear. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tony come to his side.

"It's Brody. They can't find him."

Gibbs' blood ran cold.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Special thanks to Mindless Creations, ShadowWolf's Fables, The General, AureaD, Hippiechic81, and DS2010 for all your reviews! Those reviews keep me writing because I know I have an audience waiting for another chapter. :)**_

 ** _Enjoy!_**

Gibbs would never be able to recall how he got from the bullpen to MTAC. His heart was in his throat when he rushed into the room. Nothing Jenny said made a lick of sense to him. David Brody was imprisoned in a high-level security penitentiary. He was kept under lock and key in isolation from other prisoners, and his every move was monitored. Hell, the man couldn't even use the head without being watched. His imprisonment was vastly political, but in Gibbs' mind, the man was a psychopath.

Once Gibbs' gathered his wits about him enough to catch his breath, he was astounded to find himself standing in front of some of the most exceedingly influential people in the United States. That knowledge should have put him in a clearer, more professional state of mind but Gibbs found that he did not care in the least with whom he was speaking.

"Tell me. How the hell can you lose Brody in a level 5 maximum security prison? Hell, I wasn't even allowed in to talk to the bastard because I didn't have a high enough security clearance!" Gibbs was more than well aware that he was shouting. He didn't care. Jenny looked appalled.

"Gibbs!" Jenny put a firm hand on his forearm which he shook off angrily. Nothing anyone said would be able to pacify him now. He was past the point of no return. This was personal.

Gibbs glared at the two men sitting before him, larger than life on the MTAC video screens.

"Calm down, Agent Gibbs. Brody couldn't have gone far. I'm sure you will find that it is just a matter of a faulty electrical system at the facility," assured one of the men.

Gibbs felt his heart rate increase. "With all due respect, Mr. President, I get that David Brody is your friend and that all you political buffoons think that he is some kind of god who ended human trafficking with one hand tied behind his goddamned back…"

"Agent Gibbs!" admonished Jenny Shepard, aghast. "Kindly remember who you are addressing."

Gibbs took a deep breath and clenched his fists tightly together, ignoring Jenny's protests to play nicely, "My daughter is missing, Mr. President. She has a microchip embedded into the frontal cortex of her brain," Gibbs tapped the front of his head with his finger as emphasis, "and David Brody wants the information on that chip. He wants it more than he wants to live. Don't tell me to calm the hell down. I am way past the point of being pacified."

"Agent Gibbs! David Brody singlehandedly stopped MS-13, one of the largest and most violent transnational criminal organizations in the world. Brody stopped them dead in their tracks. All evidence of MS-13 in the United States is non-existent," shouted an equally irate man, not looking pleased with Gibbs at all.

Gibbs looked up, his face deadpan. "My daughter is nine years old, Vice President. Are you telling me that she is expendable?"

"Agent Gibbs, we don't even know if Brody has escaped Lee. We have agents combing the facility as we speak. There is no need to…"

"How long has he been unaccounted for?"

The room fell into a tomb-like silence as Gibbs stared at each of monitors in succession. Neither the President nor the Vice President appeared willing to answer the question and that made Gibbs blood run cold. It was roughly seven hours by car from USP Lee to D.C. No one had any idea where Aimee was being held captive. For all they knew, Aimee was closer to Lee than she was to D.C. Virginia was one hell of a big state. There was nothing saying that Aimee's captors had kept her local to them.

"Damn it! How the hell long?"

Jenny stood beside Gibbs, her face pale and her mouth agape.

The President rose to his feet and wandered off screen for several long seconds before returning to his desk with a grievous look on his face. Gibbs felt the colour drain from his face as the truth dawned on him.

"He's been missing for roughly 12 hours." The man's voice sounded contrite but that did not placate Gibbs in the least.

Gibbs threw his hands up in angry frustration. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. David Brody had disappeared without a trace for 12 hours and no one had bothered to inform him. His little girl was out there and he had no clue if she was alive or dead and the higher-ups had decided that Brody was more important than an innocent nine-year-old child. Gibbs was finished listening. "You better damned well find him, Mr. President, because if I get my hands on him first, and he's laid one finger on my daughter, I will kill him myself!" Gibbs spun on his heel and left MTAC, slamming the door as hard as he could behind him, leaving the two officials and Jenny staring at each other in silence.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Rick Almeida gently laid Aimee down on the cot in the room. Perspiration marred his forehead as he looked at her small form. It had taken much longer than he'd anticipated for her to lose consciousness. In the few moments it took for him to gather her into his arms, he knew that he'd soon have company. Sure enough, the door behind him swung open. Rick looked up to see a grey-haired man 20 years his senior enter the room

"That took a lot longer than I speculated," the man stated quietly.

"She vomited up the soup, and I didn't use as much in the condiments. I thought the soup would be enough."

"The cards were a good diversion."

Rick brushed Aimee's blond hair from her eyes. "Geez, Russ, what the hell are we doing?"

The other man, Dr. Russell Mitchell, shrugged. "We're doing our jobs."

"Give me a break, Russ! This stopped being justifiable the moment we kidnapped her. She doesn't deserve this. She's just a kid!"

Russ walked around the cot and felt for Aimee's pulse. "Look, the plan goes forward. You can help me or get the hell out. I've got my orders." Russ' dark eyes darkened. His mind was made up. He was committed.

Rick heaved a heavy sigh. "What's the chance she'll survive?"

Russ headed towards the door. "I took an oath to save lives, not take them. I'll do everything I can to spare her life but we both know the outcome isn't good, Rick. Her chances are slim. I'm not going to apologise for doing my job." With those words, the older grey haired man opened the door and pulled in a cart.

"Wait? What?" Rick's face paled. "You're doing it here? Now? Is that even safe?"

"I'm a brain surgeon. I can work anywhere and besides, that chip is going to kill her one way or another if I don't get it out."

Rick frowned in disbelief. "If that were true, why hasn't Agent Gibbs tried to have it removed?"

Russ prepared his tools silently before disappearing from the room to put in more equipment, including an operating table and bright lights. Rick Almeida stood with his mouth agape as more people entered the room, setting the space up quickly and efficiently. How many people did it take to set up an operating room? The scene was surreal. As Rick watched, attendants moved Aimee from the cot to the table. Another group came in with portable sinks and washing stations while still more figured out lighting. The room was transformed before Almeida's eyes from a simple storage space into a hospital surgical room.

Dr. Russ Mitchell was suited up for the surgery and just before a mask was placed over his mouth, he said, "Simple, I have been Aimee's surgeon since the beginning. I was told to say and do anything I could to keep that chip safe, so I did."

Rick Almeida blinked. Things were more sinister than even he knew. He watched in silent horror as his fellow agent, someone who he'd thought was his trusted friend continued to make preparations to cut open a small child's brain.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Riley awoke with a start, perspiration soaking his shirt thoroughly. He blinked his eyes, rapidly trying to clear the fog from his brain. Where was he? For the life of him, he couldn't remember. His entire body felt heavy from fatigue. It had been a long time since he'd fallen into such a deep sleep and the knowledge that he had let his defences down frightened him. The door to the room swung open suddenly causing him to jump to his feet. His heart rate picked up speed in his chest and he fought the sudden urge to bolt. There was no place to escape.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," said a blonde haired woman who appeared just as startled as he. "I didn't expect anyone to be here. I usually drop off some baked goods for people to enjoy…" The woman entered the room carrying a Tupperware container in one hand and an infant seat in the other. She stopped and awkwardly stared at Riley, trying to explain her intrusion.

"It's okay," managed Riley, trying to slow down his racing heart.

"Please forgive me. I didn't know anyone would be here so early. Did I wake you?"

Riley scrubbed a hand over his face. "Kind of but not really. What time is it?"

The sound of cooing baby filled the room. "Just past 7. My husband comes in early and I like to come along and drop off some freshly baked goodies for people to enjoy throughout the day. Just my way of giving back." The woman set the baby seat on the table and adjusted the blanket over the small infant.

"Wasn't there anyone at the door?" asked Riley, still trying to shake the sleep from his brain.

The woman smiled with a confused expression on her face. "No, should there be? Would you like me to get someone for you?"

Riley waved his hand. "No, no, that's okay. It was a crazy night so I crashed here."

The woman smiled warmly at him. "You're a marine I see. Tough job. Thanks for your service." She opened the Tupperware container and the room filled with the aroma of freshly baked muffins.

Riley glanced down at his filthy Marine fatigue pants. He hardly looked like a presentable Marine but the woman would have no reason to fear him being he was in a conference room, rather than an interrogation room which she'd have no access to anyway. His face reddened when he realised he was unclothed from the waist up. Suddenly he felt thankful that he'd fallen asleep half-clothed at least.

"They smell amazing Ma'am."

The woman held the container out towards him, not seemingly bothered by his state of undress. "Help yourself."

Riley smiled and did just that. After such a deep sleep, feeling warm and somewhat clean for the first time in ages, he found that he was famished. He took a large bit of the freshly baked muffins and closed his eyes, unconsciously savouring the homemade treat.

The woman laughed pleasantly. "You could do with some fattening up."

Riley felt his face redden further. He turned his back to her and reached to grab his shirt, pulling it on quickly. His clothing was way past the point of needing to be washed. He knew he smelled less than pleasant but mentally, he felt better than he had in a long time. Riley turned to see the woman had set out her baked goods and was making her way to leave once more. The baby continued to coo happily in its infant seat. The sound was so normal and ordinary in his ears, he almost didn't want the woman to leave.

"Thank you," he said suddenly.

The woman stopped as she went to leave the room. She turned and smiled at him warmly before slipping out the door, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Riley smiled as he stood watching where she had stood. A simple act of kindness and suddenly he felt human again. Out on the streets, he'd stopped feeling like he was human and worthy of kindness from anyone. He'd stopped living and had only been merely surviving. One good night sleep without nightmares, some food and some simple human kindness had renewed him more than he thought possible.

Riley looked at the open door and he felt his heart rate pick up once more. There wasn't anyone standing guard? Did that mean he was free to go? Riley highly doubted that was the case. Agent Gibbs had made it more than obvious that he was being detained. But why did he allow him to crash in a comfortable conference room rather than the Brig? Riley suddenly had a lot more questions about this Agent Gibbs. He still didn't trust him and a part of him wasn't so sure that Aimee wasn't running from the man because he'd hurt her.

Aimee.

Riley's blood ran cold. Aimee was in danger. She had been very roughly ripped from his presence and obviously not by the good guys. Only Riley wasn't sure who the good guys were anymore. He thought the good guys were the Marines until he joined them. His DA had proven to be anything but good. Riley squinted his eyes when a flash of memory hit him square in the gut. He groaned audibly as the memory enveloped him before he could stop it.

 _"Get on your feet, Janssen!" screamed his Drill Instructor, Adams._

 _Riley stood shakily to his feet. His eyes darted around looking for someone who might be able to help him but it was no use. There was no one. Everyone was asleep, thoroughly exhausted from the day's events. Nothing short of physically shaking each recruit would rouse them from their slumbers. Adams was more than intelligent enough to know that and he was good at what he did. He'd been a D.I. for longer than Riley had been alive. There was no way the guy was going to let one stupid kid tarnish his reputation. Riley should have known better._

 _"Who the hell do you think you are?" The man's face was beat red from screaming at the top of his lungs. His voice was hoarse after so much abuse during the day. Every D.I. had all but lost their voices as they spurred the recruits on during the day._

 _Riley wiped his bloodied mouth with the back of his hand, visibly shaken as he stood facing his judge and jury._

 _"A Marine, sir!" Riley shouted back, his own voice raspy._

 _Adams jeered at him in disgust. "You're not a Marine. You're not even close to being a Marine!' Adams backhanded Riley in the face once again but this time the kid only staggered a little managing to keep his footing. Riley was weak from the lack of food and sleep. His team was trying to finish the Crucible. The hardest part of marine training…and Riley was already more than 40 hours into it. He was past the point of exhaustion and his thinking was far from coherent._

 _"You're a gawddamned failure, Janssen. You're an insignificant piece of crap. You're not even worthy to be on the bottom of my boot."_

 _Riley felt tears burn his eyes. Adams was not saying anything he hadn't already heard a thousand times in his life. His old man had said worse to him._

 _"What do you say when I'm speaking to you?"_

 _"Aye, sir," screamed Riley like the well-trained and obedient dog he felt like._

 _Adams scoffed, punching Riley square in the gut. Riley doubled over but amazingly kept his balance. He tried to catch his breath only to be shoved to the ground and felt Adams boot connect with his ribs several times._

 _"You're finished, Janssen. You hear me? You washed out! You failed like the idiotic loser you are!"_

 _Riley covered his head and lay still as his Drill instructor screamed at him and kicked him. He tried to keep his head clear and tell himself it was not his father hurling the insults at him. But his mind was foggy and he felt something deep inside him snap. Riley was on his feet before he even realised it and his fists flew relentlessly at Adams' face. Riley didn't say a word as the man in front of him dropped to the ground much more effortlessly than he thought possible. Part of Riley felt like he was watching some kind of horrific horror flick. He didn't want to believe that it was his own self that continued to inflict punishment on his D.I. Tears streamed down Riley's face as his fists kept locked on their target. He didn't want to be a ruthless person but now he knew he was. He was worse than that, he was evil._

 _Riley might have kept the upper hand had he not been so weak from lack of sustenance and foggy from less than five hours sleep in the past 40 hours. He should have been sleeping now, resting for the final part of crucible…the nine-mile hike that led to victory with his teammates and the end of the crucible. Not one of them was any more deserving than another. They had all worked hard. Maybe Riley had even fought harder because he had something to prove to himself, and he'd battled harder because he was pushed past the point of no return. Riley's temper waned as his fatigue overwhelmed him. He staggered and that gave Adams the upper hand to retake control. The older man outweighed Riley by 100 pounds easy. Riley didn't stand a chance against him in such an unfair battle._

 _Adams pistol whipped Riley hard enough to send him flying to the ground. He breathed hard overtop of the young recruit and Riley could see the bloody mess he'd made of his D.I.'s face. Riley blinked back tears of horror._

The door to the room slammed suddenly pulling Riley back to the present. He spun on his heel to see a young teen girl leaning against the door, breathing heavily. Her back was to him, having slammed the door and was leaning against it. Her face was buried in her arms as she attempted to catch her breath. Riley ran a shaky, sweaty hand through his hair and softly cleared his throat as a curtesy to his new intruder. NCIS was definitely a hopping place at 0700 hours.

The girl spun around and let out a small shriek before she quickly covered her mouth.

"Oh, my gosh! You scared me! I didn't know anyone would be in this conference room this time of the morning," sputtered the auburn headed girl.

Riley opened his mouth to say something but the girl rambled on as she took in his state of dress and the room around her. "Oh, wait one minute…you must be that Marine dude that found Aimee. Is that right? Abby said that Tony said that Gibbs was letting you get some shuteye after being U.A for so long."

Riley blinked. He would have laughed at how the kid rambled if he wasn't so confused by her utterings.

"You could be in some big trouble for running away from the Marines. Why would you even want to do that anyway? I thought being a Marine was one of the most honourable jobs in the military. They are like the Black Ops people."

Riley licked his lips, not even knowing how to answer her. He always used to think the same thing, about the Marines that is. It was why he wanted to become a Marine. He wanted to make a difference in the world and maybe, somewhere along the way, make his father proud. The teenager's reference to the Black Ops made him smirk a little. She must have been playing too many Call of Duty games.

"I think you watch too much T.V., kid." He managed to say with a straight face.

"Is Aimee okay?" The girl asked just as quickly, ignoring his subtle reprimand.

Riley shrugged. "I'm afraid I don't know."

A shadow fell over the girl's young face. She looked around the room but didn't move from her position by the door.

"Who were _you_ running from?" asked Riley, taking in the girl's dishevelled appearance.

"My aunt. She's the director here and…" The girl stopped talking and narrowed her eyes at Riley. "What's your name anyway?"

"Riley Janssen."

"I'm Makayla Wallace. So, why did you run away from the Marines?"

Riley scrubbed a hand over his face and turned to look out the window. "That's complicated, kid." He wasn't going to explain himself to some little girl. Hell, he didn't even plan to explain himself to the Agents who questioned him. His plan was to escape as soon as he could.

Makayla walked over and stood to stare out the window too. "Can you find Aimee? Do you know where she is?"

Riley shook his head. "All I know is she's in a lot of trouble."

Tears swam in Makayla's eyes. "It's my fault she's gone. I was so busy thinking about my own problems that I never stopped to see how much danger she was in."

Riley heaved a sigh. He knew the feeling. He had focussed too much on his troubles and wasn't as proactive as he should have been. He might have been able to keep the girl safe had he been more on his game.

"Listen, do you think you could help me get out of here, Makayla?"

Makayla frowned, lifted her arms up in defeat and stepped away. "Hell, no. There is no way I want to piss off Agent Gibbs any more than I already have. Take some advice from me, Riley, don't mess with him."

Makayla's reaction almost made Riley laugh. The girl didn't look much older than 13 years old and she was a tiny little thing at that. It was obvious to Riley that Gibbs had already made a significant impression on the teenager and in actuality, Gibbs had made an impression on him as well. Gibbs had been kind-hearted. It had been a long time since he had felt that.

"You didn't hear it from me, but things are pretty dead around here this time of day so maybe no one would notice if you slipped downstairs and out the emergency exit."

"Won't that set off alarms?"

"Probably but I might be able to cover for you but you're gonna owe me big time!"

Riley looked at her for several moments. "What's the catch?"

Tears escaped down the girl's cheeks. "Promise me you'll find Aimee. Marines are supposed to be the best of the military…our best line of defence. No one knows where Aimee is, not even Gibbs, and he's like the best Marine there ever was. Abby said so. Marines are supposed to be trained to improvise, adapt and overcome anything no matter what the situation." Makayla stopped talking and choked back a sob. "Tony said that Marines only have one mission in life and that's to fight and win, no matter the cost. Aimee needs you, Riley."

Riley's mouth was dry. He had no clue where to even start to look for Aimee. He had no Intel whatsoever. He couldn't make any assurances. A part of him just wanted to promise her anything so she'd help him escape but he knew his integrity would never allow him do that.

"Aw, kid, I'm not God. I have no intel and no way of getting any…"

Makayla chewed her lip, a renewed look of determination on her face. "Abby could help you with Intel I bet."

"Who's Abby?"

"She's a forensic scientist." Makayla suddenly bolted to the door, stopping to address him once more. "Stay here and I'll get her."

Riley opened his mouth to protest but it was too late; Makayla disappeared out the door, softly closing it behind her. Riley stood staring at the door feeling overwhelmed. What had he gotten himself into?


	24. Chapter 24

_**Hi Readers,**_

 _ **Yes, it's been a long time since I updated. I apologise for that. I haven't forgotten about the story but life has been busy. Six children tend to keep a mom busy, not to mention teaching part-time and now YARD WORK. Oh, and did I mention garage sales? I love them!**_

 _ **I hope you will take some time to review and let me know if you're reading along still. I'm a starving artist...okay, not really, but I do love to hear from my readers.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

Makayla sat outside shivering in the early morning sunshine. The weather was uncharacteristically colder than normal, dropping down to near freezing at night. It made for some chilly mornings. It was nearly Thanksgiving and autumn had pretty much shown off its finest colours for all to see. The brilliant hues of golden yellow and the fiery crisp oranges and reds set ablaze the trees in all the parks and surrounding areas. It was always such a beautiful time of year. Makayla took in the scenery as she waited to face the music. She watched a flock of geese land in the duck pond across the way, only to stir up such an awful ruckus with the ducks who flew away in a seemingly annoyed huff. Makayla found herself giggling at the sight.

"Something funny, Mak?"

Makayla closed her eyes and silently said a prayer of thanks for the voice she heard. She had been hoping and praying that of all the people to be sent to discover who had set off the alarms that it would not be her aunt or Gibbs. She told herself that the Director of NCIS would never be sent on an errand like that anyway and she was glad to know she was right. She figured that Gibbs would be too busy and would send one of his team or another team to check things out.

"A bunch of geese just scared the ducks away," explained Makayla not even bothering to look up at who was speaking to her. She recognised the deep voice as belonging to Tony.

Makayla heard him make a muffled phone call. The teen didn't bother trying to strain her ears to hear what was said. She didn't even want to know. Riley had escaped, and he was going to find Aimee. That was all that mattered. Even if she paid the price for his escape, it would be worth it. Abby had agreed with her. Riley was trained to do this kind of thing and who better than a newly trained Marine. Only Makayla was pretty sure helping Riley escape was against so many laws that she might even be considered a criminal on some level.

"So, what made you change your mind about taking off again?" asked Tony, taking a seat beside her and shoulder bumping her in the process. "You do realise that your aunt is going to freak out, and I don't even want to speculate what Gibbs is going to say. Gibbs has reached his limit of patience with everyone."

"I know." Makayla turned to look into Tony's concerned green eyes. Her pulse was racing and it felt like her heart would leap out of her chest wanting to escape from her stupidity. Makayla hated being in the limelight. She hated confrontation with a passion. She told herself she would always blend in and never ever again get in trouble especially while at NCIS. She had no wish to mess with Gibbs under any circumstances.

Tony bumped her again. "What's going on? I was under the impression that Gibbs already set your carcass straight about running away. Nothing personal or anything, Mak, but your timing sucks."

Makayla shrugged off his reprimand. "I wasn't running away, Tony."

"You set off the emergency alarms, kiddo. I'm fairly certain you know how to read signs and it was pretty clear that this door would set off alarms. If you wanted to watch the ducks, you could have asked permission from your Aunt Jenny."

Makayla gulped. This was looking really bad. Her aunt was going to let Gibbs kill her and probably watch with great satisfaction. Makayla stood to her feet and took a few steps towards the sidewalk. If she'd wanted to run away, she wouldn't have been stupid enough to set off alarms and stay around to witness the aftermath.

"Why are you even here, Tony? Why aren't you out there searching under every rock looking for Aimee? She's been gone too long! Why isn't anyone looking for her?" Tears fell down Makayla's cheeks. There was no use trying to convince Tony that she wasn't running away again. All evidence pointed in that direction.

Tony stood up with a compassionate expression flooding his face. He knew that Makayla felt responsible for Aimee going missing.

"Makayla, trust me, we are doing everything we can to find Aimee. It's complicated. There's a lot going on that you know nothing about…much of which you wouldn't even understand…"

Makayla spun around. "Give me a break! I'm not stupid, Tony. None of you know where she is, for Pete's sake. Aimee could be dead for all you know!"

Tony pointed his finger towards her, his face taking on an almost parental appearance. "Hold up a sec. I never said you were stupid. I said that it's complicated. This case is much bigger than just NCIS, Makayla. It's all-encompassing. FBI, CID, DIA, NCIS, DCIS," Tony started listing off names of organizations on his fingers. Makayla blinked back more tears as she listened. She didn't even recognize some of the abbreviations nor did she know what they stood for. Tony hesitated and softened when he noticed her face pale significantly. "The point is NCIS doesn't call the shots on this one, Makayla. We've been told to sit tight and wait for instructions. There are no choices here. It sucks but it is what it is."

Makayla felt a shudder ripple throughout her body. It was true; she hadn't known things were this convoluted. She thought Gibbs and the NCIS team could just swoop in and rescue Aimee and everything would be okay. Abby gave Riley information about what she knew and she'd said she told Gibbs too. Makayla was frustrated and angry and she didn't understand why NCIS was just sitting around with what information they did have and not doing something. Riley promised to do what he could, but if this whole thing was as complex as Tony insinuated, maybe Riley would end up hurt or worse. That would be her fault. Makayla choked back a sob.

"Hey now, don't cry, Mackie. I'm didn't mean to upset you."

Makayla covered her mouth with her hand, shaking her head and trying to keep her emotions in check. She was beginning to think it would have better if she had managed to escape to New York. Maybe it wasn't too late to follow through with her plans after all. Anything was better than feeling like everything was her fault.

Tony reached out to brush a tear from Makayla's cheek. "C'mon, we better head inside. Your aunt has probably already been told about this. How about I help you explain?"

Makayla took a few steps backward away from Tony's grasp. "No!"

Tony looked surprised. "Mak…"

"This is my fault, Tony. If I hadn't have been so hell-bent on taking off, I could have stopped Aimee from leaving. I could have called for Gibbs but I didn't. Now Aimee could be hurt or worse…"

Tony reached out to touch Mak's shoulder but she backed away farther. "Mak, listen to me for a minute…"

Makayla shook her head. "No, I'm finished listening to you and I'm finished listening to Gibbs. None of you are doing anything to help. Isn't there ever a good reason to break the damned rules?" Mak choked back a sob before continuing. "CIA, DIA, CBC or whatever the hell they are called; Why do they get to call the shots? Aimee is Gibbs' daughter. He should be out there turning the town upside down finding her." Tears streamed down her flushed face.

Tony's heart went out to the young teen girl, and he managed to grab Makayla's forearm and pull her into an embrace. Makayla fought it at first, pounding on his chest with her free hand until finally melting into the hug and sobbing so hard that her body was trembling. Tony released his grip on her arm and wrapped both arms around her shuddering frame. He stroked her red hair and did his best to calm his mind. He'd been an agent a long time and he'd seen a lot of horrific things but he understood procedure. He hadn't always, especially when he'd still been wet behind the ears, but it was impossible for a young teen like Makayla to grasp the subtle politics within the system. Tony knew for a fact that Gibbs was being eaten alive standing around. He also knew that if Gibbs had even a hint of a clue where Aimee was being held captive, nothing short of death would have prevented him from going to her, screw policy and procedure. But the powers that be knew that about Gibbs so those above them were keeping things on the highest level of classified as possible.

"If Gibbs knew where she was, he would have found her by now, kiddo," whispered Tony, knowing that the sobbing girl wouldn't hear him but he needed to hear the words himself at the moment.

Tony felt the girl pull away so he released her. She remained sobbing and choking back tears, wiping her face frantically. Tony's heart went out to her as she struggled to gain her composure. It didn't look like it was going to come any time soon but she tried to speak anyway.

"R-Riley…"

Tony frowned. "What about Riley?" Tony had actually forgotten about the young Marine but he suspected that Gibbs hadn't. Tony had managed to find the kid's DI but the man had been a force to be reckoned with. James Adam's had been more than a little pissed off that he was being hauled into NCIS to be interrogated over one of his recruits who had gone UA. Once Riley's name had been mentioned, the old guy's eyes had dangerously darkened making Tony feet very uncomfortable. Tony's gut told him there was a lot more going on with Riley and Adams then any of them knew.

"He's gone," Makayla managed to choke out.

Tony felt his blood run cold. Tony was 6'2 and towered over Makayla considerably. Her short stature and her emotional state caused Tony to drop to one knee and stare up at her. He needed to know what she meant.

"Makayla," he said gently staring intently into her green eyes, "What do you mean 'gone'?"

The teen struggled to catch her breath, trembling as she brushed her long hair from her face. "I-I kinda let him go," she managed to choke out. "He's gonna find Aimee, Tony. H-He's a Marine. If anyone can f-find her, R-Riley can."

Tony closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Makayla's presence outside was making more sense to him now. The girl hadn't been trying to run away again; she'd been helping Riley escape.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face, a shadow of stubble darkening his jaw as he paced impatiently in Jenn's office waiting for her to finish her phone conversation. He'd been summoned to speak with Jenny privately after his rather vocal display with the President and the Vice President earlier. He knew it was coming but it still pissed him off. Under any other circumstance, he'd have been livid but this was past personal on every conceivable level.

"Thanks for letting me know," concluded Jenny as she hung up her phone, slamming the receiver down much harder then she meant too. "Damn it," she muttered loud enough to pull Gibbs from his revelry and turn to face her.

He lifted a brow. "What's up?"

Jenny rubbed the back of her neck and leaned on her chair looking weary. "Makayla took off again."

Gibbs frowned.

"I guess you didn't make the impression you thought you did." Jenny's tone was accusatory.

Gibbs shrugged. "Oh, trust me, I made an impression."

Jenny's face flushed. "Well, she took off again, Jethro, so obviously you didn't."

Gibbs remained unfazed.

Jenny sighed loudly and came out from behind her desk. "Damn it. I knew it was a bad idea when I agreed to watch Makayla. I know nothing about kids and I fooled myself into thinking it would all be slumber parties and shopping. It was easier when she was younger…"

Gibbs walked towards her, cutting her off. "Where is she now?"

"Tony caught her outside…"

"Jenn, you're gonna need to have it out with Mak…"

"Me? I don't know what to say to her." Jenn looked at Gibbs with desperation. She honestly was out of her element in every way. Give her a depraved and despicable criminal any day and she was as tough as nails, completely at home even in heels. Being behind a desk at times was tedious as all hell because deep down Jenn was still a field agent at heart much like Gibbs. Jenn knew Gibbs had turned down the job of Director numerous times, so much so that the powers that be stopped asking. Jenn felt much the same way but she had a personal agenda to keep, one known only to her.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes in response. "You're going to have to suck it up, Jenn, and do what needs to be done. Mak is screaming for your attention."

Jenny growled under her breath. "I warned her I'd sic you on her again. That in and of itself should have been enough to stop her nonsense."

"I'm not the answer, Jenn."

Jenny glared at Gibbs and stomped her foot in frustration. "What am I supposed to do? Her parents are thousands of miles away and not coming back any time soon."

Gibbs was quiet for a moment, lost in his own thoughts, feeling like he had reached the end of himself in more ways than one. He was past the point of exhaustion and what little patience he had left was dissipating faster than he could manage.

"Damn it, Jenn, what do you want me to say? That I'll handle it for you? Is that what you want from me?" Gibbs' voice came out forceful and loud, almost a yell which was unusual for him. The only time he ever allowed himself to lose his temper like this was in interrogation and that was always a show. Gibbs prided himself on staying in control of his emotions. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Marines stayed in control. Hell, even his blow up at the President had been controlled despite what it looked like.

Jenn pursed her lips and lifted a brow at Gibbs outburst. She, too, knew it was not characteristic of Gibbs to lose control. It was then she remembered why she'd called Gibbs into her office to chat in the first place. Gibbs had more than overstepped his bounds with the President. The aftermath of that wasn't going to be a pretty one for NCIS. Things were delicate and it required a certain level of decorum, despite the personal nature of the situation.

"You know you have to stand down, Jethro," she said, knowing he would know exactly what she meant despite the sudden topic change. " NCIS has no jurisdiction."

Gibbs spun on his heel and headed towards her door.

"Jethro, just where in the hell do you think you're going?"

Gibbs stopped when he reached the door, his hand on the handle. "Going to do your dirty work," he muttered cryptically.

Jenn crossed the room to stand directly in front of Gibbs, leaning her weight on the door to prevent him from leaving prematurely.

"Like it or not, Agent Gibbs, the President of the United States is the one calling the shots. He is the Commander in Chief and," She glared at him sternly. "He. Trusts. Brody. His word supersedes us all. There is nothing any of us, including you, can do about that. He has everything so encrypted that the classified is classified. God himself wouldn't be privy to that information."

Gibbs glared. Jenn glared back. Gibbs pulled on the door but Jenn kept her weight on it.

"I'll talk to Mak."

Jenn lifted a brow. "Talk?"

Gibbs dropped his hand from the door and sighed. "Damn it, Jenn. What do you want from me?"

Jenn moved from the door. "Just play nice, Jethro, okay? I know you don't play well with others but I need you to this one time. I don't have to tell you what is at stake, do I?"

A pain looked flooded across Gibbs' face and Jenny's heart skipped a beat in her chest. The pain was unmistakable. Gibbs was hurting and Jenn had no authority to remedy it.

"No, Madame Director, you do not." His voice was cold and brusque.

Jenn stepped aside and Gibbs flung open the door, stalking out of the room heatedly.

"You might want to cool off before…" Jenn's words froze on her lips when Gibbs stopped mid-step. Seeing his stoic expression, she didn't finish her sentence but closed her door quietly. She knew she didn't need to remind Gibbs to calm down before speaking to Makayla. Gibbs was a lot of things but his love for children was instinctive. He would never lose control with a child. Makayla was in good hands and Jenn was thankful she didn't need to deal with it on her own. Gibbs had her back.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Rick Almeida stood frozen in place, his heart and head racing at speeds faster than he thought possible. He was stunned as he watched an attendant gather up a portion of Aimee's long blonde hair and snip it at the roots, tossing the straw coloured locks to the floor almost callously. Almeida didn't have any kids of his own but something screamed sinister in his mind as the scene played out almost surreally before his eyes. Russ Mitchell had long since put on his doctor's hat, seeming to forget exactly what was at stake. Almeida believed that his friend would do what he could to save Aimee, but ultimately his role was to recover the chip. That was what his orders were and Russ, much like Rick, took his job seriously. The only trouble was that this job wasn't like any other. This time around was different and Rick was suddenly very uncomfortable with the proceedings.

Rick swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched the attendant begin shaving the little girl's head at the spot just above her forehead. It wasn't a large portion of her head, just a section about 5 inches in diameter before her hand was stopped by another attendant.

"That's enough," hissed the large man, standing beside the woman.

The woman scowled at him but moved to increase the diameter of the shaved area.

Suddenly a commotion began that left Rick standing with his mouth ajar.

The large male attendant knocked the razer out of the smaller woman's hand. The razor clambered onto the floor with a dull thud. The room seemed to stand still for several long seconds as everyone stopped and stared at the razor. The man removed his face mask and everyone in the room gasped at the same time. David Brody stood in their midst and not one person in the room had expected it. No one had time to process the how and the why of it before Brody scooped up the unconscious child in his arms and disappeared from the room.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Riley sat behind a dumpster quite a distance from the NCIS building. His heart was still racing in his chest and his head was still reeling wondering what the hell had just happened. His mind was spinning with his options as he sat down and pulled one knee up to his chest. He never expected to be given the reprieve he had. He hadn't even speculated what was going to happen. He didn't even know why Agent Gibbs had seemed to be so kind to him given the circumstances. Marines that went UA were not respected, but then to have some kid come in and then that Forensic scientist and then to be set free without any tracking device. He was beginning to think that he was being set up somehow. The question was why? Why would they set him up? To what end? And what about Aimee? There was no doubt in Riley's mind; he was connected to the small girl. He felt responsible for her. More than anything Riley just wanted to disappear, never to be found again yet the teen, Makayla, her words seem to burn fiercely in his mind.

"No one else is doing anything," she had sobbed in desperation. "You're a Marine; you have to save her. They're gonna kill her."

None of it made any sense to Riley. How could an organization like NCIS not be able to help the girl, especially considering Agent Gibbs claiming that Aimee was his kid?

Then the kid had dragged the Goth chick into the room, further messing with his head. The woman, not wasting any time, briefed him on classified information. It was enough to make his head spin. Did she know that he was just some flunked out Marine recruit who'd gone UA? To be honest, the dark-haired woman had confused him the hell out of him, quite literally messing with his mind. God knows, his mind was already screwed up enough. She looked about as old as the teenager with her jet black hair pulled up into pigtails and her wearing a short school girl skirt yet her knowledge of things blew him away. The Goth was no kid. She knew her stuff and she helped the teenager arrange a diversion so he could escape.

Riley puffed out his cheeks as he leaned against the cold wall weighing his options. It would have been easier if he was ruthless like his deadbeat father. But, no, Riley had much more of his mother's blood coursing through his veins. Grace Janssen had made a terrible mistake in her life when she'd married his scummy father but deep down she was a good God fearing woman. His drunken father might have beaten her but Grace kept her chin up. She did what she could to raise Riley properly, including making a life for herself so she could raise her son. Riley never blamed his mother for being young and stupid when she married his father. Every single beating Riley took from his ole man was to protect his mother.

Riley raked a hand through his hair. It had grown remarkably fast, considering he'd had a good Marine haircut at one point. Thirteen weeks in basic training and another 30 days running had given him a mop of hair once more. His mother always said his hair grew like a weed, even more so that he did which was saying something. Chewing his lip in contemplation, Riley forced himself to his feet. The Goth has armed him with some coordinates and as much as his head was screaming at him to escape, he ignored it and started his mission.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

"No one is doing anything!" screamed Makayla, her face reddening in anger.

"Mak, we're doing what we can; you have to trust us on that," replied Tim softly.

Makayla was in the same conference room that Riley had spent the night. Tony had left her with Tim in order to speak privately with Gibbs and her aunt. Makayla was under no false impressions. Her butt was toast and her aunt was going to give Gibbs permission to kill her.

At that moment, Abby burst into the room and gathered Makayla in her arms defensively.

"None of this is Mackie's fault, Timmy. It was my idea to let that Marine go free. He isn't part of NCIS and technically, he's UA so he's working on his own."

Tim frowned. "Abby! That just makes it worse and you know it. It makes him acting like a vigilante."

Abby opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Gibbs entered the room followed by Tony.

"Gibbs!" gasped Abby, chewing her lip when she saw his grim face.

Makayla pulled away from Abby, swallowing hard and backing up until her back hit the window sill behind her.

Gibbs crossed his arms and stared at them both. Abby remained speechless which was an unusual event. Under another circumstance, Gibbs might have found amusement in the situation but not at this moment. The room felt deafening as the two females in the room squirmed under the scrutiny of the three men.

Tony cleared his throat and broke the silence. "Probie, we have some paperwork waiting for us."

Tim nodded and made his way to leave. Abby began to tap her knuckles together nervously as she watched Tim walk from the room. Tim usually was the first to come to her defence with Gibbs so seeing him leave made her feel somewhat vulnerable. Her eyes found Tony's who looked at her in sympathy.

"If you need us, Boss…"

"You better stay DiNozzo," groused Gibbs. "I may need someone to hold me back."

Abby's eyes widened and she moved back towards Makayla.

"You sure you want a witness, Boss?" joked Tony, attempting to lighten up the mood in the room.

"Shut the door." The tone of his voice brooked no room for debate. Tony shut the door and leaned against it, looking awkwardly amused in a way only Tony could.

Abby cleared her throat nervously. "I can explain, Gibbs…"

"Where did you send Riley?" he asked, cutting her off.

"You already know that," came her reply. This time her voice was equally clipped.

"Do you realise how reckless that was? Riley is…"

"He's a Marine, Gibbs. Just like you. Only he is in the position to help and you know it. You can be mad at me all you want but I refuse to apologise for doing something you wanted to do yourself. Why else did you let Riley stay here instead of locking him up, huh?"

Gibbs pursed his lips and frowned. He couldn't deny that he hadn't thought of it himself, but he quickly let reason take over and he'd dismissed the idea. Riley Janssen was a messed up kid, running from abuse and UA from an abusive DI. There was no way he wanted to subject the screwed up kid to risk his life for something Gibbs didn't even have the entire picture figured out yet. Him letting Riley stay the night in the comfort of the conference room had been his way of offering the teenager a reprieve. It had been a simple act of kindness and nothing more.

Gibbs pointed at the chairs. "Sit, both of you."

Abby made a move to sit but Makayla stayed frozen where she was.

Gibbs lifted a brow, knowing Makayla was remembering another time he'd been angry with her and he knew she was worried how things were going to go between them. He wasn't going to be so quick to relieve her fears either.

Thankfully Abby saw the hesitance in Makayla's face and grabbed her arm, forcing her to sit down. Gibbs wasn't in the mood to play games with either of them.

"Regardless of what you thought I was going to do, that gave you no right to jump the gun and send Riley in on something so dangerous," began Gibbs, beginning to scold Abby but all the while keeping one eye on Makayla who looked ready to bolt from the room.

Abby chewed her bottom lip and remained quiet. Gibbs sighed. Scolding Abby was like scolding a wounded puppy. It only succeeded in making him feel like the bad guy. What was done was done. He was quite certain that Abby acted knowing all the trouble she'd be in. In all honesty, that fact alone made all the anger melt away. He knew Abby loved Aimee as much as he did. Gibbs took a few steps forward and planted a kiss on top of her head, whispering genuine gratitude into her hair. Abby reached up and patted his cheek gently.

"Give it to her good, Boss," chuckled Tony from the door, still leaning against it.

"Shut up, DiNozzo," growled Gibbs, but a smile shined behind his eyes.

Taking a few steps back, Gibbs looked at Abby again. "Will you at least tell me what his plan was?"

Abby shrugged. "I'm not even sure he's going to help us. He looked pretty spooked when I told him stuff. I think he thought I was setting him up or something."

"What makes you think he's going to have any more luck then we did?"

Abby twisted one of her pigtails around her finger thoughtfully. "No offence Gibbs, but Riley isn't you…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

This time Makayla piped up softly. "You scare people," she muttered.

Gibbs surprised himself when he laughed out loud. He must have been losing it because it was certainly not like him to laugh out loud at things that weren't even funny.

"Mackie," hissed Abby, hitting her with a stern look.

Makayla shrugged. "It's true."

"I know it's true but you didn't have to say it so plainly. I usually like to beat around the bush a little to soften the blow."

Tony snickered and Gibbs scowled at him.

"What?" said Tony, "I didn't say it." Tony held his hands up in his defence.

Gibbs turned to Abby once more. "Tell me you bugged him."

Abby's face melted into a pout. "I'm hurt you doubt me, Gibbs."

Gibbs grabbed her gently by the hands and pulled her to her feet, pushing her towards Tony.

"Track him, Abbs, and report back to me as soon as you know where he is."

Abby saluted him and went to leave the room.

"DiNozzo, get Tim to help Abby and I want you and Ziva on that kid's ass. Call me when you have an idea where he's at."

"On it, Boss," said Tony and him and Abby disappeared out the door leaving Gibbs and Makayla alone together.


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N**_ _ **Thanks so much for the reviews. My husband took ALL the kids for the afternoon leaving me all by myself today. Apparently, they were going to do a little mother's day shopping. An afternoon to myself is one of the best gifts he could give me :) Anyway, of all the things I could have done, I decided to do some more editing and post another chapter.**_

 _ **Special thanks to DS2010, Hippiechic18, Guest, AureaD, the General and Skyrunner...you all made my day by leaving a review. I know it can be a bit hard to stay interested in a story that takes so long to write. Your reviews were what spurred me on to finish another chapter so I hope you enjoy. Things are heading to a climax...**_

Makayla picked at a hangnail on her thumb not wanting to look up, but she could feel Gibbs' penetrating eyes boring a hole in her back. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her squirm so she forced herself to turn and look at him square in the eyes.

"Gave up on the idea of having a witness?"

"Why would I need a witness?"

Makayla swallowed hard. "Good point. Now you can kill me with no witnesses but don't count on Abby helping you. She's on my side this time."

Gibbs smirked, not looking nearly as vexed as he felt before. Makayla wasn't sure if she should be relieved or disconcerted. Gibbs walked around the table and pulled a chair out across from her. Sitting down, he rested his chin in his hands and stared at her.

"What?" she almost whined, not being able to take his intense stare any longer.

"I thought we had an understanding," he said simply.

Makayla sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on it. Hard.

Gibbs watched her for several seconds before reaching forward and tugging on her lip to release it. He didn't say anything just then but continued to look intently at her making Makayla feel more and more uncomfortable.

"Agent Gibbs," she began in a pained voice. "I was only trying to help…no one is doing anything and the longer Aimee is missing, the worse it gets. I know it…"

Gibbs tapped her mouth softly, his finger lingering on her lips. "Listen to me for a minute…"

Makayla pulled back and shook her head. "NO!"

Gibbs looked taken aback.

The young teen stood to her feet and walked towards the window, refusing to make eye contact with him. Gibbs turned in his chair and watched her quietly, waiting for her to speak. If she wanted to talk, he was willing to give her the floor.

"I didn't run away. I promised you I wouldn't and I didn't. However, I did make it look like I was taking off to deceive you and I should be sorry for that but I'm not, so if you're gonna smack me than you might as well get it over with." Makayla turned to face him, tears of apprehension shimmering in her eyes. She didn't relish another demonstration of his authority.

Gibbs immediately regretted his brusque show of authority. He could tell that Mak was torn up over all that was happening, and he hadn't intended to add to her sorrow. He stood to his feet and walked over to her.

"I'm not gonna smack you, Mak," he said softly, not missing the look of immediate relief that flooded the girl's face. It was more than obvious to him that his earlier demonstration had certainly hit its mark with Makayla. He didn't reckon he'd ever need to repeat it with the girl and for that, he was immensely relieved. He wished he'd been able to affect Aimee in the same way, but he knew things weren't even remotely comparable.

"You're not?"

Gibbs smiled at her kindly. "I'm not," He repeated with a sigh. "I'll admit it crossed my mind when I first came into the room. I wanted to put you and Abby both over my knee. What you two did was reckless and dangerous. You're not NCIS agents, and you can't possibly know how convoluted this whole thing really is. Geez, Mak, you're just a kid, for Pete's sake."

"Abby isn't," she countered with determination and a good deal of sass in her tone.

Gibbs furrowed his brow and gently popped her on the back of the head, brushing her hair into her face. Makayla lifted her chin indignantly and brushed the hair from her face trying to ignore the slight sting coming from the back of her head. Her pride didn't allow him the satisfaction of seeing her rub the spot he'd whacked. "I'm serious, Gibbs."

"You think I'm not?" There was a clear warning lingering in his voice.

Makayla lifted her thumb to her mouth once more and continued nervously chewing on the hangnail, considering if she wanted to continue or not. She knew she was pushing her luck with Gibbs.

"Agent Gibbs," she said after a few moments, her voice a little more hesitant. "I wouldn't have tried anything on my own. I went to Abby for help cuz I knew she wouldn't let me do anything stupid…"

"What you did _was_ stupid!" he scolded, his face becoming stern once more.

"No, it wasn't," she insisted, deciding to just be frank, no matter the consequence. "Tony told me you can't do anything because it's an order and if you break it then it's really serious, and I can understand that I guess. Well, not really but I can try. And, I'm just a kid and Abby, well, she's not a kid, I guess, but you can all just blame everything on me because they can't put a kid in jail, or at least I don't think they can, can they?" Makayla hesitated a moment not really asking the question to Gibbs but more thinking out loud to herself. "Anyway, Riley isn't officially a Marine right now because I think he's in some kind of trouble or something, so he's like a free agent but he's trained so he knows what to do. Riley can do stuff you can't and he won't get into trouble, or at least I don't think he will because technically he doesn't have a boss at the moment, and he's already in trouble so maybe that would be double jeopardy or something. I think. Only I'm not entirely sure if what he's doing is what he did before so maybe that's not the right term." Makayla's brow was furrowed in bewilderment.

Gibbs bit back a smirk as he listened to her ramble on. Makayla had a habit of rambling when she was nervous much like Abby. It was endearing in a way.

"Anyway, Tony said there are a lot of people involved in this and that's why NCIS can't do anything. Abby gave Riley a lot of important Intel, Agent Gibbs. It seems to me that you must know enough to do something but you haven't done anything so maybe Riley can help. He promised me he would try."

"Mak, you can't put all your faith in Riley. He's not much older than you are…"

"I know but he told me he almost completed the Crucible, Agent Gibbs, and if he can survive that, he can do anything; and besides, I trust him."

Gibbs frowned. "You don't even know him. How can you say you trust him?"

Tears filled her green eyes. "There's something in his eyes, Agent Gibbs. It's in your eyes too. I just knew when I met you that you were a kindred spirit, and I feel that way about Riley too. Only, I'm not a big fan of you smacking me," she said earnestly, wincing a little at his glare. "Just saying," she muttered softly with a shrug.

Gibbs sighed. "Duly noted," he commented. He chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Do you even know what double jeopardy means?"

Makayla's eyes sparkled through her tears. "Have you forgotten who my father is, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs hadn't. Mike Wallace was a brilliant attorney. Makayla probably knew more about the law than he did in some cases. Gibbs stared at her debating if he wanted to hug her or throttle her. She was a highly intelligent kid, and he felt drawn to her in a way he couldn't put his finger on. A kindred spirit was a good term. He'd thought of it himself. And Riley, well, it was true about that young Marine as well. Gibbs felt the same draw to Riley as he did Mak which was probably why he let the young man stay in the conference room in the first place rather than in the brig. It had been highly unconventional but Gibbs hadn't given it a second thought. It turned out that Makayla had just labelled for him what he felt. She was a pretty intuitive kid.

"I know you said it's not my fault that Aimee ran away, Agent Gibbs, but in a way it is…" Mak's voice cut into his inner musing and he opened his mouth to protest but Makayla rushed on cutting him off before any words could leave his lips.

"I'm not feeling sorry for myself, okay? I'm just trying to rectify a wrong. That's all."

Gibbs blinked a few times but remained quiet and thoughtful before speaking. "None of this is anyone's fault, Mackie. I understand what you're saying, but right now I need you to listen up and take good notes because I'm not gonna repeat myself."

Mak took a deep breath and gulped expecting the worst.

Gibbs pointed a finger at her sternly, switching gears for a moment. "Here's a news flash for you, kiddo. You are a kid, not an NCIS agent…"

Makayla frowned and scowled at him, an argument building momentum on her lips.

"Don't," warned Gibbs seeing the rebellion welling up inside her. "Like it or not, yes, you are still a child and you need to stay out of this. That means no more brilliant ideas to interfere or thinking that you know better than me because you don't. For all you know, you sent Riley on a suicide mission."

Her eyes widened and tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Furthermore, your aunt is waiting to talk with you in her office. I have no idea what she is going to say or do but you will be respectful. If I catch wind that you gave her a hard time, you and I will most certainly be having a much different conversation, part of which will find you staring face down at this carpet. Am I making myself clear?"

Makayla looked at the carpet for a moment understanding completely what he meant and there was no way in hell she was going to do anything to warrant that. She had no want to be up close and personal with Gibbs' hand or the carpet. Nothing her aunt could say or do would ever be terrible enough to risk that.

"Crystal," she mumbled, allowing the tears to flow freely, hoping they might soften Gibbs a little. She was a girl after all; she knew the power of tears when it came to father type people or maybe it was men in general. She hadn't been around long enough to know for sure just yet but she sure wished tears worked as well on her mother and her aunt.

He wagged his finger at her sternly. "I'm not joking around here. What you and Abby did was serious, kiddo."

"I know."

"I don't think you do."

Mak suddenly felt like she wanted to clarify something. "Umm… does that threat apply just to Aunt Jenny?"

Gibbs hit her with a hard look. "What do you think?"

Makayla suddenly found her shoes extremely interesting as more tears escaped. "I plead the fifth," she mumbled.

Gibbs frowned deeper remaining rooted in his tough outward demeanour, wanting Makayla to realise he was extremely serious. He was tired of being undermined. It was bad enough when Abby went behind his back. At least he knew she had some kind of method to her madness. Makayla often just worked off teenage hormones and that was never good.

Mak fidgeted under the scrutiny, feeling a mixture of uneasiness and concern for Riley's wellbeing after hearing the whole story on why NCIS was stalled. A strangled sob escaped her lips as she put a hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry if I put Riley in danger, Agent Gibbs."

His heart softening just then, Gibbs dropped his tough guy routine and pulled the trembling girl in for a hug. Makayla melted into the embrace and allowed herself to relax against him soaking up the security she felt in his arms. Gibbs puffed out his cheeks silently, not wanting Mak to feel his tension. He was past the point of concerned and not knowing what Riley had in mind, if anything, wasn't helping. He hoped that Abby's bug would give them some kind of clue as to what the young Marine had in mind. And he prayed the kid wouldn't get himself killed in the process. He couldn't live with that on his conscience.

"But you can't make me be sorry for sending him because I'm not," she muttered into his chest.

Gibbs bit back a chuckle but didn't reply. Mak had managed to bring him some levity and sunshine in an otherwise dark time and he was going to bask in it for a while.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

"What are you going to do with her?"

"I thought you wanted the chip out?"

"How the hell did you escape?"

Questions flew at Brody from every corner of the room. Brody sat rather cheerfully on a sofa in the middle of a nicely decorated room located in the centre of the building. From the outside, the structure looked like a rundown warehouse ready for demolition but inside it was very elaborately decorated. Around the room stood a handful of confused and angry looking faces, one of them being Rick Almeida and another Dr. Russ Mitchell. Russ' expression was one of utter bewilderment as he stood motionless still dressed in his green scrubs.

In the centre of the room on the carpet still unconscious laid the small form of Aimee Percy. All eyes seemed to be on Brody but Rick couldn't help but stare at Aimee as well. The small child was so vulnerable and everyone in the room was there on account of her.

"I do want the chip but I need some time, Mitchell," Brody answered quietly. "She is my kid after all and I don't even know her."

"Fantastic," muttered someone else, "You pick now to get a friggin conscience?"

Brody didn't look at who made the remark. He was familiar with every man in the room. He knew who had said it.

"I've spent 6 months in solitary confinement, gentlemen. I couldn't so much as take a piss without someone watching me. Forgive me if I want to have some say in how this damned thing goes down!" Brody stood to his feet and walked across the room to where a minibar stood. He poured himself a drink and downed it, refilling his glass again and drinking that too. He gritted his teeth as the alcohol burned his throat going down. "Get the hell out of here! All of you, NOW! Leave me alone with my kid. I'll let you know when I'm ready."

The room quickly emptied until Brody was alone with Almeida and Mitchell. Brody turned and looked at them tersely.

"That includes you two clowns," he muttered, pouring another drink.

"Just tell me how you escaped," prompted Almeida.

"You know, Almeida, I'm not the bad guy you think I am." Brody turned and glared at the dark haired man who was looking at him with spite. "I never knew she was my kid in the beginning."

"Doesn't change the fact that you do now," he muttered scathingly.

"I had a lot of time to think when I was incarcerated."

Almeida scoffed. "I'll bet."

Brody's eyes darkened. "I'd shut my mouth if I were you. I could ruin your ass with one phone call." Brody sipped his drink this time but stared at Aimee as he did.

Almeida didn't flinch. He knew it was true but he'd lost his reasons for caring now. His eyes fell on Aimee again as she stirred. Brody's eyes moved immediately to Mitchell's.

"How long do we get til the kid wakes?"

Mitchell shrugged. "I dunno; not sure how much Almeida got into her. She's a feisty little thing when she's awake. A fighter like her ole man."

Brody smiled.

"He's referring to Agent Jethro Gibbs, you idiot, not you," muttered Almeida, suddenly not caring a wit if he insulted the man in front of him.

Brody took a few steps towards Almeida in an attempt to intimidate him but it didn't work. Almeida stood his ground. Aimee stirred some more and her eyelids fluttered.

"Better brace yourself, Brody. That little girl is a spitfire, and she will wake up like a trapped, wounded animal."

Brody's eyes seemed to flood with uncertainty, having never been around children much in his life. He had a passion for rescuing people from human trafficking but children were not his thing.

"Why didn't you let me take out the chip?" demanded Mitchell suddenly. "I was prepped to do it and it could have been done by now."

"You said there was a high probability that the operation would kill her. I wanted a chance to get to know her, even if only briefly."

Almeida scoffed. "Don't you think it's too little too late?"

"Shut up, Almeida. I said I had a lot of time to think and I meant it. Like it or not, Aimee is my kid. She deserves to know her real father."

"What the hell for? So she knows it was her father who sentenced her to death?"

Brody angrily pitched his glass across the room. It hit the wall and the brown liquid splattered across the wall and dripped onto the floor.

"I never put that gawddamned chip in her head! I had nothing to do with that."

"No, you didn't, that's true, but you drove Percy to it. You and Stratton both."

Brody pinched his nose. He couldn't deny it, but in his defence, he hadn't known Aimee was his kid at the time, and he never thought Jonathan Percy would be crazy enough to do something so heinous to his own kid.

Russ Mitchell looked at the clock on the wall and made to leave. "Look, I need to get back to the hospital; I have surgery. Call me when you're ready, Brody, but you need to remember something. That chip is a ticking time bomb in that kid's head. It needs to come out or she will die for sure. Taking it out gives her a slim chance but it's better than none at all." With those final words, Dr. Mitchell left the room, leaving Almeida and Brody alone.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

The beeping on the screen made Abby stop in her tracks and zoom the picture in further.

"Do you see that, McGee?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. Abby had surpassed tired 5 Caf-Pows ago, so she wasn't sure she trusted her own eyes any longer.

"I see it, Abby."

"What's he doing?"

"I have no idea. Where did you put the bug anyway? You sure he still has it?"

Abby smacked McGee on the back of his head.

"Abby!" he yelled in indignation.

"Wake up call, McGee. Unless he's walking around with no pants on, that bug is still on him. There is no way he could have found it."

The two of them continued to watch the monitors in front of them for several minutes longer.

"It can't be right. We've already searched every single warehouse in that vicinity. There is no way Aimee is there," muttered Tim, not noticing the growing look of satisfaction on Abby's face.

Abby's hands were trembling from the overabundance of caffeine as she leaned over McGee's shoulder. She narrowed her eyes and licked her lips, her heart dancing a little jig in her chest.

"Got anything, Abbs?" said a loud voice from behind her.

Abby screamed in McGee's ear making him flinch, startled by Gibbs' sudden appearance. She straightened up and scowled at Gibbs, punching him in the arm.

"Don't sneak up on me like that, Gibbs!" she scolded.

Gibbs frowned at her.

Abby quickly gained her composure and looked remorseful. "Sorry, but you scared me. Never sneak up on a Goth who's had more Caf-Pow than she weighs."

It was then that Abby realised that Gibbs was carrying another Caf-Pow in his hands. She made a sorrowful face when he proceeded to drop the cup in the nearby garbage. She could have used another one despite her agitation.

McGee wiggled a finger in his ear; it was still ringing from Abby's sharp screech.

"Boss, we've narrowed down Riley's location to the Westport warehouses."

Gibbs lifted a brow. "We've already searched there. Why would he go there? Those were the original coordinates that he gave us."

McGee shrugged. "I dunno, maybe he wanted to check things out for himself."

It was then that Gibbs noticed that Abby looked a little too pleased with herself.

"Abby, is there something you're not telling me?" Gibbs walked up to Abby, invading her personal bubble without so much as a second thought. Abby took a few steps back and chewed on the side of her lip.

"Abby?" His voice held a clear threat to it.

Abby fidgeted and her gaze dropped to the floor. "Okay, so maybe I might have done some hacking…" she began, not looking up at the man who was like a father to her. Abby was well aware of how Gibbs felt about her hacking and going around firewalls. She's already broken enough rules and was still on probation because of it.

Gibbs crossed his arms, clearly losing patience with her stalling.

Abby gulped. "Okay, so hear me out on this, Gibbs," she began, taking a few more steps back for her own peace of mind. "I did some digging around and Riley is very astute when it comes to numbers, much like Sister Margarete when we play poker…"

"You play poker with nuns?" asked McGee, not being able to stop himself from blurting that out.

"Nuns are people too, Timmy," informed Abby.

"Where do you play? Surely you don't go to a casino…"

Abby looked genuinely shocked. "Of course not, McGee. That would be a sin."

"And nuns playing poker isn't?"

Gibbs took this moment to walk up behind McGee and smack the back of his head. Abby jumped a little, startled and Tim winced.

"Sorry, Boss," the younger man said quietly, rubbing the back of his head. He inwardly reprimanded himself for not staying professional around Gibbs. It just felt like Abby always seemed to say something that threw him for a loop.

"I inputted those coordinates earlier which led you to the warehouses but then I decided that I'd do a little digging. The government owns those warehouses and has spent an exorbitant amount of money on them in the past 10 years."

Gibbs frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. We searched that whole area and found nothing but empty storage space. The place is completely run down. In fact, the workers that we spoke to said the place hadn't even been used in over six months."

Abby moved closer to the monitors continuing to speak. "Well, after some digging…"

"You mean hacking…" clarified Gibbs, letting her know that he was not fooled by her wording.

Abby fidgeted. "You can get mad at me later, Gibbs, but listen," Abby scolded Gibbs in a way that only she could get away with. "Those warehouses have an underground level."

"That's impossible. We would have found it."

Almost as if on cue, the flashing beacon on the screen went from above ground to underground. Abby pointed at the screen.

"I told Riley about it, and he insisted that's where he'd heard that Aimee was going to be located."

Abby turned to look at Gibbs only to see his back to her as he rushed from the room.


	26. Chapter 26

_**A/N HELLO! It's been a long time since I've done an update. This one is short but I hope you enjoy it. Action isn't my forte. So please forgive me if it's not what you hoped it would be.**_

 _ **June is busy. Two graduations! My oldest from grade 12 and my son from grade 8. And we have been house hunting...considering moving to a bigger house. I am not good with change.**_

 _ **Hope you are all enjoying the warmer weather.**_

 _ **Many blessings,**_

 ** _Jenny xo_**

Aimee weakly rubbed a cold hand across her face. Her eyes felt so heavy. She blinked her eyes several times trying to hold them open but they kept closing. Her hearing was muffled and it felt like she was underwater as her mind tried to make sense of the words and voices she was hearing. Nothing sounded familiar to her. The voices were all strange and muffled. She felt her hand shaking slightly as it brushed against her hair, or what used to be her hair. She felt a shaved spot and her eyes rolled underneath her lids. What happened to her hair?

"Are you thirsty, Aimee?" said a deep voice from above her.

Aimee again tried to force her eyes open but her lids would not cooperate with her. Instead, she nodded and felt around her to see if she could make sense of her surroundings. Her fingers found a soft, plush carpet and her hair lolled back and forth on it.

She felt rough hands cup the back of her head and lean her into a more upright position.

"Here, it's milk. Drink it," commanded the voice.

Aimee obeyed. She was thirsty and the cold liquid tasted good in her dry mouth. She wasn't even a big fan of milk because she tended to be a little lactose intolerant but she was willing to risk a sore stomach for the relief of her thirst. Soon the cup was taken away and she worked harder to keep her eyes open. Her eyelids fluttered some more and she started to make out the face in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak but her words came out in a slur.

"Don't try to talk just yet," commanded the husky voice once more and she felt herself being lifted off the floor.

She struggled against him unsuccessfully, not feeling like her limbs were her own. "Lemme down," she mumbled, her tongue feeling thick in her mouth. The man ignored her and set her down on something softer than the carpet she had been laying on before.

Aimee shoved the hands off her and pushed herself up farther onto a pillow. Her eyes finally focussed as she stubbornly scrubbed at them. She took several moments to look around the room and then at the person above her. It was the same dark-haired man who had been with her before. The FBI man. Her body felt so heavy that it was all she could do not to fall over as she tried to stay sitting up.

"How are you feeling?" The dark-haired FBI man asked. His voice sounded kind.

Another man strode into the room suddenly, his voice much gruffer sounding. "Is the kid awake yet?"

Aimee turned to see a larger man hovering over her. His hair was dark brown with grey salt and peppered throughout it. The man towered over the darker haired man but his eyes were not nearly as kind. Aimee shivered.

"Hey, kid…" the man said.

"Her name is Aimee," corrected FBI man.

"I know what her name is, you idiot. Get the hell out of here and let me talk with her by myself. She's my damned kid, not yours."

Aimee's eyes widened at the words and she felt her heartrate increase. Her eyes flew to FBI man with an immediate sense of pleading. That man had been somewhat kind to her and she didn't want to be left alone with Brody. She reached out to him in desperation as he stood to his feet. He didn't seem to take notice of her efforts.

Almeida gritted his teeth. "Brody, you don't give a crap about that kid so stop pretending you do. What the hell is going on it in that screwed up head of yours? If you want me to buy that you've had a sudden change of heart, it's not gonna happen. You've done too much to gain a gawddamned conscience now."

Brody glanced down at Aimee briefly before taking a few threatening steps towards Almeida.

Aimee screamed.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs tried to clear his mind as he drove towards the warehouse district. It was on the outskirts of D.C., not a faraway drive but far enough. He knew that Tony and Ziva were closer to reaching the destination and would be ready for instructions once he arrived. They would be waiting to hear his strategy and, if his mind would stop racing, he might be able to form one. He always prided himself on being in control and able to devise a plan at a moment's notice. This time his mind was berating him so severely that he wasn't able to keep his head above water enough to form a coherent thought, let alone a strategy. To say he was exhausted would be a gross understatement. He had surpassed that long ago. He was operating on pure adrenaline, pretty much functioning with no sleep. He was lucky he could still stand on his feet.

Tears burned at the back of his eyes as he blinked fast to keep them at bay. He wasn't one to allow himself to succumb to tears, and he wasn't going to allow them to interfere now. He knew that everything that was happening was every bit his fault. He had more than truly accepted that fact already. He didn't want to allow himself to wallow in self-pity. There would be time later maybe but definitely not now. His father was right. He'd dropped the ball on parenting Aimee. He was always too busy second-guessing himself, wavering when he should have been resolute. It was a mistake he may never get a chance to rectify. He vowed he would do things differently if he was given a second chance.

Just then his phone rang loudly and Gibbs reached for it fully expecting it to be Tony notifying him of his and Ziva's arrival. Gibb was surprised to hear his father's voice on the line.

"Leroy?"

Gibbs' heart picked up speed in his chest. Was Janessa okay? Why would his father call him out the blue like this?

"Dad? Is something wrong? Is Ness okay?"

"No, no, everything's fine, Leroy. I just wondered if you had a moment to chat with your ole man."

Gibbs let out a weighty breath that he didn't realise he'd been holding. Fear of something else happening always weighed heavy on him.

"You making out okay, dad? I know it's a lot of work watching Ness, and Abby is held up helping me…"

"No worries, Leroy. Janessa is fast asleep. The little tyke was exhausted after being at the zoo most of the afternoon."

Gibbs nodded, not really thinking that his father wouldn't be able to see the gesture. He kept his eyes on the road even as he held the phone to his ear.

"What's up, dad?" asked Gibbs, expecting the worst, and/or possibly another lecture. His father had perfected them throughout the years.

"Well, son, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry," echoed Gibbs, blinking in confusion.

"Yah, you heard right, Leroy and you don't need to sound so damned surprised about it. I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong."

This time Gibbs rolled his eyes, knowing that if his father could see it, the older man would not have been impressed.

"You're a good father to those girls. You handled things with Janessa really well today, and I know you do your best with Aimee. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time about it. "

Gibbs felt tears burning behind his eyes, and he swallowed the thick lump growing in his throat before speaking again. Sometimes he longed to talk to his dad like a son to a father, and not that superficial nonsense that he'd become so good at through the years. He longed to be able to let down his guard and be comforted. He was tired, and sometimes he wanted to just let go with someone to pick him up. It was hard to be the one everyone else depended upon. Only now wasn't the time for him to lose his edge as much as he was on that precipice.

Gibbs forced back the overwhelming emotions building up. "I can't talk now, dad," he managed to say through the thickness in his throat. The words came out much more gruffly than he meant them to but he let them linger not knowing how to recover.

Silence answered him as he held the phone to his ear. His father and he had had many rough years in the past, not always seeing eye to eye about much of anything. He knew his father loved him, and he was pretty sure the older man knew he loved him as well but words just never came easy for either one of them.

"I can't talk…" Gibbs reiterated more forcefully and ended the call abruptly, tossing the phone onto the seat beside him. Gibbs rubbed his temple and shook his head to clear it. He didn't have the time or the energy to be dealing with anything but the business at hand.

He forced himself to concentrate and was soon lost in what he knew. Time escaped him and he was ready when he arrived on scene. Tony and Ziva were waiting for him in the designated place when they all heard the blood-curdling scream.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Riley exhaled a long drawn out breath before he made his move. He'd been watching events unfold for quite a while now so he was ready. He didn't know much about the men in the room except it was clear they hated each other. When Brody made his move to attack Almeida, Riley took that opportunity to make his move. At the same time, Aimee began to scream at the top of her lungs. It was a primal scream, one of complete terror. Riley hesitated for a moment but not long enough to be dissuaded from his agenda. He meant to take both men out while they were unaware of his presence. Riley swung out of his hiding spot in the ducts above, knocking both men to the floor. Neither man saw him coming. In an instant, Riley was on his feet throwing punches. Aimee continued screaming in frightened horror.

"What the hell!" screamed Brody, taken completely off guard, blocking the blows and trying to gain the upper ground.

Riley answered with a right hook to his jaw, violently slamming Brody's head to the floor. Almeida managed to find his footing, taking a swing at Riley in return.

"Aimee," shouted Riley who took several hard punches to the face. "Run! Get out of here!"

Aimee stopped screaming and weakly got to her feet. Her hands were shaking as she watched the three men fight. Her eyes widened when she saw Brody reach for a weapon on his waist.

"He's got a gun, Riley!" screamed Aimee, realising who he was. A rush of adrenaline hit her and she scrambled towards Brody.

Riley took another hit to his face, sending him stumbling backwards. He kept his footing and jumped at Almeida who lost his balance and landed on Brody, knocking the weapon from his grasp.

Aimee saw the gun and went for it but not before Almeida grabbed it. Time seemed to come to a standstill as Riley saw Almeida grab the gun and fiercely backhand Aimee out of his way. Aimee went flying across the room and landed with a thump hitting her head on the wall. That little girl did not move again but crumpled to the floor like a ragdoll. Riley fully expected the dark-haired man to turn the weapon on him but he didn't. Instead, Riley was shocked when the man turned the weapon on Brody instead.

Almeida looked at Riley and held a hand up in his direction. "My name is Rick Almeida, and I'm with the FBI. Stand down!" he commanded.

Riley froze, his eyes wide, not understanding what was happening. The FBI was already here?

Almeida turned in Brody's direction. "Get up!"

Brody rose to his feet, his face red with anger. "What the hell are you doing, Almeida? Shoot the bastard!"

"Shut up."

Brody frowned as he stared down the barrel of the gun but then noticeably relaxed. "You're not going to shoot me, Rick, now gimme the damned gun!"

Riley's heart was pounding hard in his chest as he looked at Aimee lying still on the floor. The fact that she wasn't moving frightened him. How hard had she hit her head? Riley made a move towards her while keeping his eyes on the man with the gun. Almeida nodded his head briefly like he was giving his permission so Riley collapsed to his knees to see to Aimee. His hand went gently behind the still child's head and Riley's heart skipped a beat when he felt the warmth and stickiness of blood assault his fingers. Aimee was injured worse than he anticipated. Riley looked up at the two men and took in their hostile demeanours. His instincts told him that the situation was volatile and could change in a heartbeat. His gut screamed at him to get Aimee out.

"What's your game, Brody?" shouted Almeida stepping closer to the older man.

Brody chuckled, taking another step towards Almeida. "There is no game. There is only a plan. Gawd, all I wanted was a little time with my kid, for Pete's sake. Is that a friggin crime? I have no agenda here."

Almeida took a step back, keeping the weapon trained on Brody but his hands were shaking.

Riley carefully scooped Aimee up into his arms, being careful to support her head. Blood soaked into his shirt. Riley had to keep reminding himself that head wounds bleed. A lot. It was normal and not necessarily a sign of serious injury. But he was frightened nonetheless.

"I'm leaving," Riley announced sounding braver than he felt. He hoped that the guy with the weapon would let him.

"You're not taking my kid anywhere!" shouted Brody suddenly angry and taking a menacing step towards Riley. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Shut up, Brody," hissed Almeida taking a step closer to Brody. Keeping an eye on the older man, Almeida ushered Riley to leave. "Get her out of here, kid. Take her to NCIS and ask for Agent Gibbs; he'll know what to do."

"You're not going to kill me, Rick," said Brody, speaking loudly with calm assertion.

Riley began to make his way towards the door but Brody quickly stood in front of him as Almeida continued to train the gun on him. Riley could see the FBI agent's hand shaking. The whole scene made no sense to Riley, and he didn't trust either man to be predictable. A trained FBI agent would not hesitate to shoot. Why was the agent vacillating?

"Shoot me or give me the damned weapon, you imbecile!" hissed Brody taking another step towards Riley while still looking at Almeida.

Riley's mouth was as dry as cotton as he stood by the door with Aimee in his arms. Almeida was holding his weapon on Brody but looking very tentative and torn which made Riley uncertain if he could trust him.

"I don't get you, Brody," said Almeida in a soft voice. "I've worked for you for over 10 years and you were good. Damned good! I was proud to work for you. I would brag to my friends about working for David Brody. Just saying your name brought me so much prestige."

Riley shifted Aimee's dead weight in his arms. His mind was spinning as he tried to come up with some kind of plan. Blood dripped from the back of Aimee's head onto the floor but the child remained lifeless in his arms. Riley silently reminded himself that head wounds bled like crazy. It meant nothing, and it was better Aimee was unconscious otherwise he'd have had a harder time keeping her calm.

"I don't know why I was such a fool to believe you," continued Almeida, almost spitting the last words out in vindictive anger.

Brody smiled an almost eerie smirk. His voice was ominous as he began to speak. "It is me who is the fool. The fool to believe that YOU understand what's at stake here. I gave up my life, MY CAREER for this cause. Hell, I've sacrificed my own flesh and blood for this…and you have the gall to…"

In that moment, the door burst open startling the two men into silence. Riley dropped to the floor, shielding Aimee with his body. He looked up to see the two NCIS agents he'd seen before and followed behind them was Agent Gibbs.

"No one move!" commanded Gibbs, his weapon trained on Brody.

Time seemed to stop as Riley held his breath. Relief flooded him as he saw the older salt and peppered haired agent assume control of the room. It was over. He was safe. Aimee was safe. Things would be okay.


	27. Chapter 27

_**Thanks for all the reviews.**_

 _ **Sorry for being MIA for so long. I promise I haven't forgotten this story. Summer has been terribly busy for me, and we had a death in the family as well. I'm slowly starting to get back into a routine with school and such. Hopefully, I will be able to carry on with this story.**_

 _ **Sorry, this is so short but I wanted to post a little something for you :)**_

Gibbs scrubbed a shaky hand over his shadowed face. His heart rate had finally slowed down and his pulse was slowly following suit. It was over. Brody was in custody once more and his legion of minions arrested and in custody as well. Even the damned doctor he'd trusted with Aimee's care was getting his ass thrown under the bus. Brody sprung a leak and hadn't stopped yammering or so Fornell had told him. The entire story would eventually come out in the following days ahead but Gibbs didn't care. All he cared about was if Aimee was safe. The impact of all that had happened in the last several days was hitting him hard. It was all he could do not to fall apart in the waiting room.

"Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked up to see a surgeon dressed in scrubs walk into the room. Her face was friendly and that gave Gibbs hope. He rose to his feet but the younger woman ushered him to stay sitting. She sat across from him, looking weary.

"My name is Dr. Katherine Ambrose." She offered her hand to him but he made no move to take it, instead, he raised an eyebrow in concern, trying to keep his heart from racing out of his chest. "How's my daughter?" Seeing the surgeon dressed in scrubs for surgery wasn't something he'd expected.

She smiled warmly. "Your daughter is just fine at the moment, Agent Gibbs. She sustained a concussion but the bleeding was superficial. She's awake and coherent. I'm not sure how much you have been told up to this point…"

"Very little," offered Gibbs, sucking in a breath and preparing himself for the worst.

The woman nodded solemnly and offered him a friendly smile.

"As I'm sure you've been aware, the specialist in charge of Aimee's care hid the truth from you, Agent Gibbs. Looking at Aimee's file is daunting, to say the least. The microchip was originally placed in a spot that was easily accessible. It is quite probable that it was meant to be there short-term, either that or the surgeon was out of his mind to think that it would stay put and not move as her brain grew and developed." The woman licked her lips and furrowed her brow as if in pain. "I have to be honest here. That chip has to come out. If it doesn't, Aimee is a ticking time bomb. She could basically have an aneurysm at any time."

Gibbs' felt a thickness in his throat that he hadn't felt since he found out his first wife and daughter were killed. Fatigue washed over him in torrents. He shrunk back in his chair as tears blurred his vision. He fiercely blinked them back and pinched his nose to gain his composure.

"Are you alright, Agent Gibbs?" asked the surgeon, concern in her voice.

Gibbs nodded, trying to find his voice. "When can you take it out?"

The woman face darkened considerably. "I don't know if I can."

Gibbs' face paled. Aimee was going to die. He was going to lose her and there was nothing he could do to change it. The expression on the doctor's face spoke volumes. Gibbs felt like he was drowning.

The doctor wrung her hands before looking up at him. "We are at a crossroad, Agent Gibbs. If you want me to operate to try and take out the chip, I will; but if you want to take the risk and let her live as much of a normal life as she can, I will honour that request as well. There is no easy answer. Aimee could live for 50 years and be perfectly normal…"

"Or she could die tomorrow."

Dr. Ambrose nodded solemnly. "Correct."

Gibbs stood to his feet, running a shaky hand through his hair. Either way, Aimee could die. She could die on the operating table. Or he could let her just live her life without risking anything. She could live a long, happy life and the chip could never cause any trouble at all. Gibbs groaned. How could he just let her live with a bomb in her head? Getting the chip out was her only fighting chance. Wasn't it?

Gibbs looked at the doctor, his face was pallor. "I don't know what to do." For once, he really didn't.

"I understand." She rose to her feet once again. "Aimee is in recovery room 312B. Oh, and the young man who came in with her refuses to leave her side. One of your agents is with him but I asked them to keep the altercations on the downgrade for now."

Gibbs nodded. He was never a man to waste words. The doctor looked at him expectantly but Gibbs said nothing further. He had no answers and frankly, he wished it wasn't his decision to make. But at the same time, he wasn't one to shirk his responsibilities. He was used to making the tough decisions under pressure. And he was used to loss. He had lost his whole life once already and it seemed like that was supposed to be his destiny. For some reason, whoever was in charge of the grand scheme of life thought he should be punished just for being alive. Gibbs had grown used to it.

"Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked at the doctor as he brushed a hand across his five o'clock shadowed face. Tears burned the back of his eyes as he struggled with what to say to her.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted in a tight whisper.

Katherine Ambrose placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. Go see your daughter, Agent Gibbs. Go hug her and let her know she is safe."

Gibbs nodded with tears clouding his vision. He rose to his feet and walked slowly away but stopped after only a few steps. Turning to the doctor, he spoke softly.

"What would you do?"

Katherine wrung her hands thoughtfully. "Professionally, I would not want to risk the procedure. Too many things could go wrong," she said with firmness resonating in her voice, and then her expression and voice softened; Gibbs saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. "But, personally, as a parent, I would beg the doctor to do it anyway and do everything to save my daughter's life."

Gibbs sighed and reflected on her words for several long moments then his cleared his throat softly. He felt like he was giving his permission for his daughter to be executed. The thought was agonizing and made him feel sick to his very core. Aimee was going to die today, and it might as well be at his own hand.

"Will you save her?" he all but whispered.

A hint of a smile crept to the surgeon's face. "I will do my damnedest, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded and walked away.


	28. Chapter 28

_**Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I'm so glad I haven't lost all my readers. Gibbs is falling apart and still, more is being heaped upon his shoulders. Things are very serious for little Aimee. Enjoy!**_

Gibbs rounded the corner lost in his thoughts and was nearly knocked off his feet by Abby when she saw him coming down the corridor. He felt her warm arms embrace him tightly and he stopped his worrying long enough to drink her in. Abby always felt so good in his arms. She was like some kind of healing balm, his safety net and a whisper of an echo of what he thought his Kelly might have been to him had she lived. Abby's usual exuberance was dialled back though, and she was uncharacteristically quiet. Abby was not a stupid person by any stretch of the imagination. He knew Abby knew the situation was grave.

Gibbs pulled away and brushed hair out of Abby's eyes. Her usual pigtails were askew, and she looked bedraggled. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay, to assure her that all would be set to right but he couldn't muster the strength to do that. Instead, he planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

"How's she doing?" he managed.

Abby nervously banged her knuckles together and shrugged. "She's awake."

"Said much?"

Abby shook her head. "Not really. She thinks you're mad at her."

Gibbs sighed, his face expressionless. Under normal circumstances, where Aimee wasn't going to die on the operating table, he would have been angry with her. She ran away for stupid reasons! She endangered her life and almost was killed. What had she been thinking?

"How…" his voice wavered and he forced himself to maintain his composure. He refused to let Abby see him crumble. She needed him to be strong. Hell, he needed him to be strong. "I can't be mad at her."

Abby nodded, tears glistening on her cheeks. "I know."

Gibbs sighed and looked towards the room. He didn't hear any voices coming from the room.

"Who's with her?"

"Tony is…and Riley. Tony can't get him to leave Aimee's side. He's afraid to force the issue." Abby's voice sounded thick. "I need to get back to NCIS. I left Makayla with Director Shephard and things aren't going so good…"

Gibbs frowned. In all the chaos, he'd forgotten about Makayla. "What do you mean?"

Abby reached into her purse and pulled out her cell. She poked around on it and brought up a screen, showing it to Gibbs. Gibbs puffed out his cheeks as he read the text messages from Makayla.

"Damn," he muttered. Makayla was threatening to take off again, and apparently, Jenny was only exacerbating the situation with her threats. Gibbs' heart skipped a beat in his chest when he read Makayla's pleading text to Abby telling her she was leaving. Gibbs inwardly sighed. Why was it that Jenn could take down the worse criminals yet she couldn't handle a teenage girl?

"I'm afraid she'll take off and we won't find her this time."

Gibbs handled Abby back her phone. "She won't take off, Abbs."

Abby lifted a brow. "But…"

"Mak promised me she wouldn't take off again, Abbs. I trust her word."

Abby didn't look convinced.

"Mak has a lot on her mind. She's strong-willed but she's not malicious. She knows we all have a lot on our plates. She's not going to do anything to worsen things."

Abby heaved an uncertain sigh but nodded her head. "Riley is pretty freaked out too, Gibbs."

"Yah, I know."

"Are you angry with me for letting him go?"

Gibbs reached out and squeezed Abby's hand tenderly. "Abbs, right now, I'm not sure I can label any feelings I have but don't worry, I'm not mad at you. I'm just relieved things went down how they did. It could have been much worse for all of us."

Abby nodded. "Director Shephard wanted Tony to bring Riley in straight away, but Riley refused. The doctor told Tony to back off. Riley's D.O. is raising hell for everyone and SecNav is coming down on her."

Gibbs raised his hand to silence her. He didn't want to hear about NCIS business right now. He had enough to contend with. As far as he was concerned, Riley was a hero and the teen's D.O. could go straight to hell.

"Jenny can handle it." Of that much Gibbs was certain. Jenny might be out of her element with her niece but she wasn't when it came to dealing with whatever was thrown at her at NCIS. The SecNav was not a big deal to Jenn Shephard.

Abby chewed her lip but nodded solemnly. She had learned a long ago how to read Gibbs' body language and it was clear to her that now was not a time to challenge him. Abby blinked back some tears and then threw herself into Gibbs' arms once again. Gibbs drew her in close to comfort her and himself. The elephant in the room hadn't been addressed and he knew he needed to say something for Abby's sake.

"They're gonna operate. I told them too. Aimee might die."

Abby stiffened at his words then sobbed. Gibbs raked a hand through her tousled hair but didn't shush her cries. How he longed to do the exact same thing, to just let go but he couldn't. His throat burned from holding back the emotion. The pressure was reaching the point of past bearable. He felt like he might combust.

Pushing her away gently, he lifted her chin. His piercing blue eyes captured her watery gaze and with all the strength he could muster, he let her know that whatever happened was going to happen and she needed to accept that. Abby blinked back tears, reading his expression silently. Gibbs and Abby had always had a connection; they didn't need words to communicate.

"Gibbs," Abby whispered. "Are you okay?"

Gibbs looked at her, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears. He bit down hard on his tongue. Hell, no, he wasn't okay! How could he be? His whole life was on instant replay and he was about to be shattered again. He clenched his jaw so hard he felt it crack.

He puffed out his cheeks. "I'm fine, Abbs, don't you worry about me," he signed, not being able to find the strength to utter the lie out loud.

Abby slipped her warm hand into his and kissed him gently on the cheek. She squeezed his hand firmly and took off down the hallway. Gibbs could hear her sobbing as she disappeared around the corner. He knew she was on her way to rescue Makayla from Jenny. If anyone could keep the peace, it was Abby. He just hoped Abby could hold down the fort long enough to keep hurricane Jenn and Tsunami Makayla from decimating one another.

Gibbs' eyes went to the door as he reached out to turn the handle. Slowly entering the room, Gibbs had no idea what to expect. The silence was deafening as he walked in and took in the scene. Riley was standing beside Aimee holding her hand. Aimee was staring off into space, seemingly unconnected to her visitors. Tony was pacing but stopped when Gibbs entered the room.

"Boss,"

"How're things with your father, DiNozzo?"

Tony looked taken aback by the question. It was not something expected at that moment.

Gibbs noticed Riley drop Aimee's hand and back away closer to the window. Aimee sat up in her bed and looked sheepishly at Gibbs which painfully pierced his heart. He hated it when the kids looked at him like he was their judge and jury. He just wanted to envelop her into an enormous hug, yet she looked at him with such expectancy and uncertainty.

"My father?" Tony sounded perplexed.

"Yah. Has Senior respected your stance?"

Tony frowned. "Boss, this isn't the time to…"

"Answer the question, DiNozzo."

Tony heaved a sigh. "It's not that simple."

Gibbs shook his head and chuckled. "Never is, is it?"

Tony stared at him, confusion on his face.

"I need a word with Riley and Aimee, Tony. Would you wait outside? When I'm finished here with Riley, Jenn wants him back at NCIS."

"I know. He won't listen to reason."

Gibbs turned to look at the teenage young man in the room. Gibbs had to keep reminding himself that Riley was a Marine or close to it. The lost look in the boy's eyes gutted him to the core. He'd seen a lot of young Marines in his time and some with just as wounded looks as Riley. Gibbs didn't know why Riley tore at his heart so much. What was it about this kid that ate at him? "That true, Riley?"

"I won't leave her, sir." Riley spun on his heel and looked Gibbs straight in the eye.

"Why?"

Riley narrowed an eye. "I don't trust you. Aimee has been hurt enough."

"Riley."

All eyes in the room turned to the small yet strong voice coming from the hospital bed. Gibbs saw Aimee push back the blanket and slip from the bed.

"Aimee," Gibbs scolded. "Get your butt back in that bed!" he snapped at her before he could stop himself. He watched her wince at his sharp tone and from the corner of his eye, he saw Riley outwardly cringe.

Before Gibbs could say another word, Riley flew to Aimee's side, rounded the bed and put himself in front of her. His eyes darkened and his nostrils flared. Tony made a move towards Riley but Gibbs raised his hand to stop him.

"DiNozzo, outside now."

"But, Boss…"

Gibbs gestured with his head and silenced Tony. Tony nodded, eyeing Riley with discomfort but obeyed and left the room, leaving the door purposely ajar.

Gibbs turned to Riley who was helping Aimee back into bed. Aimee protested but Riley scooped her up and placed her gently but firmly in the bed.

Aimee huffed indignantly. She pushed the younger man away with a groan. "Stop it! I can take care of myself!" She proceeded to slip off the bed again and glared at both of them.

"Aims, you need to rest…" began Gibbs, walking closer to her.

Riley's eyes widened and Gibbs could tell the young man was on high alert. Gibbs wasn't sure if he should speak with Riley first or with Aimee. Both of them had issues he needed to address but how he handled it would make all the difference to the other.

"Are you mad, Gibbs?" asked Aimee, padding in her bare feet past Riley and stopping in front of him.

Gibbs felt the colour drain from his face. He could see Riley's face pale as well. He knew the choice had been made for him. A lump formed in his throat and he shook his head. He couldn't be mad at her even if he wanted to.

"Nope."

Aimee's face looked unsure. She looked up at him with uncertainty shining in her dark eyes. She turned to Riley. "He won't hurt me, Riley. For real and for honest, he won't. Gibbs isn't a bad guy."

Riley didn't say anything in return and Aimee turned and faced Gibbs once again.

"You said lying is wrong, Gibbs. Why are ya lying to me?"

Gibbs choked back a laugh, not expecting her tenacity to shine quite so brightly yet.

Gibbs scooped her up in a tight embrace, keeping one careful eye on Riley's response, not wanting to move too fast in case those movements stirred the youth into some unwanted reaction. Gibbs held her close to his chest, close enough he could feel her rapid heartbeat. Aimee was frightened or fearful or something; she had to be for her heart to be racing that quickly. Did she really think he would be angry? Gibbs carried her to her bed, walking past Riley who looked so damned forlorn. Gibbs couldn't even get a clear read from the kid. So many emotions flashed over the kid's face as he walked towards him. Anger, jealousy, distrust, longing…it was almost painful to see.

"I'm not lying, kiddo. I'm not angry. At first, I was, but not anymore." He set her down on the bed and she shimmed up to the headboard and leaned against it, adjusting the pillow behind her back.

"It's cuz of this chip in my head, isn't it?" Gibbs flinched as he looked down at her.

"Aims, you running away makes me want to shake you and smack your little butt into the middle of next week. Having that damned chip in your head doesn't change that! Taking off is wrong, and I dunno what I have to do to make you see that."

Aimee gulped and from the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Riley clench his jaw. He knew he needed to tread carefully with Riley listening.

"I wanted to protect you, Gibbs," Aimee's voice became a whine.

Gibbs sat on the bed beside her and Aimee pulled her legs up so that she could rest her chin on her knees. It was a self-defence reaction that Gibbs recognized. Aimee knew her reasoning was ridiculous now. She hadn't in the beginning, but with all that had happened, she'd figured it out the hard way.

"Protecting people is my job, not yours." His voice came across much sharper than he meant it to and he saw Aimee shiver.

"I won't run off again," she whispered.

Gibbs patted her knee gently. "Thank-you."

He looked at her, his steely grey eyes piercing her brown eyes. If he could have passed on some kind of energy wave that would transfix her into submission so he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she would never run away again, he would have done it in a heartbeat. Instead, he just proceeded to look deep into her eyes eventually forcing her to look away.

She sucked on her bottom lip. "How's Ness?"

"Worried about you. She's with Papa Jack."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Aimee fidgeted and dared to look up at him again. "Can I go home now?"

Gibbs shook his head. "I'm afraid not tonight."

Aimee groaned.

"Aims, I don't know how well I can explain this to you. I know you've been through a lot and you have a lot of questions…"

"Gibbs," she whispered.

Gibbs eyed her tiny face closely. Her haunted little face told him a story that he didn't want to read. No kid should have it to tell. "You know, don't you?"

Tears flooded down her cheeks but she nodded. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he noticed that Riley had walked closer and sat down on the chair opposite the bed. His face was white as a sheet.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "I dunno, kiddo, but that chip's gotta come out if you want to have a fighting chance. If it stays, then we will never know. Do you understand that?"

Aimee licked her lips but remained thoughtfully quiet. Gibbs reached out and patted her knee comfortingly. It was a lot for a little kid to comprehend. Aimee and Janessa had been through more crap than any kids should have to deal with in an entire lifetime. Gibbs knew Aimee was just trying to navigate her way through life. All her actions and reactions, behaviours and misbehaviours were just a little kid struggling to gain some kind of control over her surroundings. Aimee had pulled the short stick and it wasn't fair.

"If you get the chip, will you put all the bad guys in jail, Gibbs?" Aimee looked up at him with her shimmering eyes imploring him.

Gibbs took a sharp intake of air and held it a moment before releasing it quickly and pulling Aimee into his arms. "That's a promise, Aimee," he whispered into her hair, tears spilling down his cheeks.

Aimee hugged him back oblivious to Gibbs' unravelling above her. His arms around her were giving her a warm sense of safety and comfort. Gibbs wasn't angry at her like she thought he would be. Her eyes fluttered as fatigue washed over her. She was tired of running, and she was tired of fighting.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Thanks for the reviews :)**_

A sudden, loud movement in the room startled both Gibbs and Aimee. Gibbs' head shot up to see Riley holding his chair above his head with a look of sheer rage on his face. He fiercely whipped the chair at the nearest wall. "What a crock of bullshit!" he hollered.

Tony rushed into the room attempting to restrain Riley, but the 18-year old straighten his back, shaking Tony off defiantly and formed his hands into fists just daring Tony to fight him. Tony didn't take the bait but instead stepped back and blocked the exit, making it impossible for Riley to leave the room.

Gibbs' felt his heart rate pick up a little as he tried to guess what had set Riley off. The youth looked volatile, and Gibbs wasn't going to wager any guesses on the kid's next move.

"What is?" asked Gibbs engaging Riley and trying to placate the youth. He felt Aimee trembling in his arms so he pulled her closer, caressing her hair sympathetically. She'd seen enough violence. There would be no violence in this room today if he had anything to do with it.

"You are! You don't care about her any more than my ole man cares about me."

Gibbs pulled away from Aimee, patting her back gently and willing her to stay still. Aimee's face was pale but she didn't move. Gibbs walked closer to Riley but still kept his distance.

"Aimee is my daughter, Riley. I love her."

Riley's face darkened but Gibbs couldn't get a clear read of his expression. Was it anger dictating the behaviour or was it something else? Riley backed away from Gibbs and turned to grab another chair, which he heaved at the wall above Gibbs' head. Gibbs ducked on reflex but the chair bounced off the wall harmlessly, hitting the side of Aimee's bed and sliding across the floor, stopping only when it hit the adjacent wall. While everyone stared at the chair in astonishment, Tony took the opportunity to grab Riley by the arms in an attempt to restrain him but the youth forcefully shoved Tony backward nearly knocking the agent off his feet. Tony stumbled to regain his footing.

"Back off!" hissed Riley, his breathing increasingly more rapid.

"Take it easy, kid," warned Tony, straightening up and pulling his shirt down in indignation.

"You're pissing me off."

Tony held his hands up in the least threatening way he knew how. "Stop throwing chairs, Riley, and I'll back off."

Gibbs saw Aimee's frightened eyes from where he stood; he winked at her to let her know he could handle things and she shouldn't worry. The wink did little to soothe her troubled face.

"Okay, Janssen, it's time you and I had a chat." Gibbs' cringed at his tone. His voice had sounded way more paternal than he'd meant it. He didn't even know where the tone had come from. He was finding it difficult knowing which hat to wear lately, father, special agent, drill sergeant or what. The fact of the matter with Riley was that all of the above would likely be wrong. Riley didn't trust anyone.

Riley spun around and glared at Gibbs. "Go to hell!" Gibbs saw a flicker of fear cross the youth's face as well which pinched at his heart. Riley was just as frightened as he was angry.

"Stop it, Riley!" cried Aimee suddenly, sliding her feet to the floor to go to his side. Gibbs quickly caught her by the arm to stop her. "Back in bed, Aims."

"No! Lemme go!" Aimee struggled to free herself from Gibbs tight grip on her arm.

"Aimee," he warned, his voice holding a stern tone to it.

Fruitlessly, Aimee yanked at her arm to free it. Worried she'd injure herself, Gibbs released her. "Riley's scared, Gibbs. He thinks you'll hurt me like his dad hurts him."

"Shut up, Aimee!" Riley's face reddened further.

Aimee shook her head. "No, I won't." She looked at Riley pleadingly. "Gibbs won't hurt you. He's not like your daddy or that bad drill sergeant guy. He's really not; I promise you." Aimee held out her hand towards Riley but the teen flinched and stepped away from her.

Gibbs took a few cautious steps forward as he watched Aimee try to convince Riley that he was safe. The young man began shaking, his whole body convulsing with tremors, something Gibbs had seen in soldiers with PTSD. What the hell? What had this kid gone through with his ole man and drill instructor? Riley's reactions weren't normal, to say the least.

The teen's eyes remained fixated on Aimee.

"I wanted to save you, Aimee," he whispered, his lower lip trembling pathetically.

Gibbs took a few more steps until he was close enough to touch Riley. Tony was still standing in the doorway to block the exit. Gibbs motioned for him to close the door.

"You did, Riley," Gibbs said in a soft voice.

"No, I didn't!" Riley wailed in anguish. "That chip in her head is gonna kill her, dammit. You said so yourself. What the hell is that all about, anyway? Who puts a friggen computer chip in a little kid's head? That sounds like something out of some freaky sci-fi movie!"

Gibbs tried to steady Riley as he quivered violently but Riley pulled away. Gibbs could see how hard the youth was struggling to keep his autonomy. He was a fighter, and he was used to depending on no one but himself. Gibbs admired Riley more than words could say. The boy was U.A. and in more trouble than he even knew, yet when Abby and Mak freed him, he selflessly tracked Aimee until he found her. He risked his own life for her, and Gibbs planned to fight tooth and nail to help the kid. As far as Gibbs was concerned, Riley was the best damned Marine there ever was and Gibbs was going to make sure the kid followed that dream if he still wanted it.

"It's complicated, Riley. C'mon, kid. Take a seat before you collapse. You've been through a lot the past month. It's time to stop running. I want to help you but you've got to listen to me."

Aimee appeared from behind him and slipped her small hand in Riley's trembling one. "It's gonna be okay, Riley. Gibbs can help you. I promise he can. Gibbs can do anything. "

Gibbs' felt a lump form in his throat as he listened to Aimee's soft words. Had Aimee finally given her trust to him? He'd longed for her trust for so long yet she constantly pushed him away.

Riley's face went white and his legs went out from beneath him. It was all Gibbs could do to catch the kid before he hit the floor. Tony rushed forward as well.

"Boss!"

"Help me get him to the bed," commanded Gibbs.

Tony came to Gibbs' aid and together they managed to get Riley to the extra bed in the room. The fight had gone from the young man, and him collapsing from exhaustion and stress was probably a gift to him. There was only so much the human body could withstand before it gave out and Riley's body was done. Now the kid could rest. Perhaps, now, Gibbs would be able to take over and get the kid the help he needed.

"Riley!" cried Aimee, fear resonating in her voice. She flew to Riley's side, but Gibbs held her back.

"Let him rest, Aims. He's exhausted."

Gibbs wrapped an arm around Aimee and drew her close to his side. Gibbs kissed the top of her head tenderly. Aimee leaned her head against Gibbs' side, trying to soak up his strength.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Makayla crossed her arms defiantly. If she spent one more minute in the same room as her aunt, she would implode. The woman sure knew how to beat a dead horse. Gibbs had already discussed things with her earlier and she got it. Don't mess with NCIS business. Duly noted. She'd be glad to stay out of things now that Aimee was safe.

"For the last time, Makayla, SIT. DOWN. I've had enough of your attitude to last me a lifetime."

Makayla sat with a loud groan and looked at her phone. Scanning her texts, she was disappointed to see none from Abby. Abby had texted her an hour ago but had been silent ever since. Mak didn't know how to take that. Was Abby busy? Ignoring her? Had something happened with Aimee? Makayla had begged the dark headed Goth to rescue her from her Aunt's wrath. It was becoming too difficult to keep her promise to Gibbs about not taking off. She knew things were still serious with Aimee, and she didn't want to do anything to make the situation worse. Makayla had been so relieved that Aimee had been found alive and uninjured. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Mak still felt like she'd been to blame because she hadn't prevented the little girl from running off, but once those emotions had dissipated somewhat, her own problems shot to the surface. Absolutely nothing had changed for her. Her aunt still expected her to carry on with life like nothing was wrong. Meanwhile, her entire world, all her hopes and dreams were crumbling to pieces at her feet, and Makayla despised it! She hated her school and she hated her life. Her parents were god knows where living their lives happily while she was miserable. No one cared if she was happy. She was just expected to quietly follow everyone else's plan for her life. How could she change anything if no one cared or listened to what she wanted? Makayla wasn't going to be able to handle it much longer before she did something drastic.

"What's the matter with my attitude?" she mumbled more to herself than to her aunt.

Jenny rose from her desk and walked over to her niece, snatching the cell phone from her hands sternly. She sat on the edge of the desk in front of Makayla and sighed.

"You really don't understand how what you and Abby did was unsafe. How could you two know if Riley was dangerous or not?"

Makayla rolled her eyes. "Duh. Gibbs wouldn't haven't left Riley in that room if he was dangerous, Aunt Jenny. Abby wouldn't have let him go if it was unsafe. Abby is a good judge of character. Besides, Riley was the only one who could help. You all have so many hoops to jump through that Aimee could have been killed 10 times over. Riley was a free agent…"

Jenny narrowed an eye at her. "THAT wasn't for you to decide, young lady. We have protocols for a reason, Makayla."

"Pfft, yah, whatever, so many stupid rules that no one can even take a piss without permission."

"Makayla!" Jenny looked appalled by Makayla's choice of words. Spending as much time as she had with Navy personnel and special agents had left Mak indifferent and deaf to the crudeness of her vocabulary.

Makayla let her neck roll back and she stared at the ceiling. "Geez, as if you haven't heard worse, Aunt Jenny. C'mon."

Jenny made a face, choosing to ignore Makayla's brazenness. She started counting to 10 in her head, willing herself not to lose control. Jenny crossed her arms and sighed loudly, wishing she could be anywhere but trying to figure out how best to parent a stubborn 14-year-old girl.

"Look, Makayla, I get it. I understand that it's not easy to understand why NCIS does things the way it does. I don't expect you to comprehend it all; however, I do expect you to abide by the rules while you are here. Failure to do so will force me to find alternate accommodations for you while your parents are away."

Makayla's face paled. "Wait. What? Are you saying, you're going to make me stay on campus?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Makayla stood to her feet in anger. "Hell, no! No way! That's nuts! I live like 15 minutes from the friggen school, Aunt Jenny! You can't do that!"

Jenny stood tall and pointed her finger at her niece sternly. "Then follow the rules and it won't be an issue. When you are at NCIS, don't break rules or poke your nose in where it doesn't belong. Don't assume you know best. I'm responsible for your mistakes, Makayla." Jenny's eyes softened a little, imploring her niece to understand.

Mak didn't soften; instead, she seethed. "Damn it! I'm so sick of this crap. You can't even admit that I might have been right about Riley, can you? While you sat at your desk, obeying protocol, Aimee could have died. Abby and I made a decision and it was the right one! I don't care about your lame-ass rules and you shouldn't either. You know what, my mother was wrong about you. She said you cared about the common good and never let status quo stop you from doing what's right."

Jenny flinched. "Hold on a sec…"

Mak shook her head and ran to the door in tears.

"Makayla, stop!"

"Go to hell!"

Mak yanked open the office door and bolted from the room, running past Cynthia who looked up in bewilderment. Makayla heard her aunt shout after her but she didn't stop running. She raced down the corridor and out into the main lobby heading towards the stairs in the middle of the building. She stopped at the top of the stairs and sat down sobbing quietly. She hid her face in her hands and rested her head in her lap. Somehow she had to stop herself from doing anything else rash. All of her rash decisions always came back to bit her in the butt. It took every bit of willpower she had to stay put when every part of her was screaming to run away and be done with her aunt.

Mak didn't notice when McGee approached the top of stairs witnessing her breakdown. He sat down beside her and draped a gentle arm around her shoulder compassionately pulling her into a hug. Makayla sniffled and glanced at him. She was surprised to see the outward display of affection coming from McGee. She expected it from Abby and maybe even Tony but never McGee and definitely not Ziva.

"Wanna talk about it?" asked McGee.

Makayla shook her head and snorted indignantly. "What difference does it make? No one cares anyway."

"That's not true, Mak. I care or I wouldn't have asked."

Makayla shook her head again. "I can't do this anymore."

"Can't do what?"

"Pretend that everything is okay and that I'm happy. I can't be the perfect daughter and niece. I need to be true to myself. Shouldn't I be true to myself?"

McGee gave her shoulder another quick squeeze and then he pulled away, turning himself to face Makayla more directly.

"Being true to yourself is important, Makayla, I'll give you that, but it's not that simple. You're only fourteen years old, honey, and still have so much to learn about life. I know you feel like you know everything and can make your own decisions but you're parents are still responsible for you. They are doing what they feel is best for you…"

Makayla brushed tears away. "They don't care about me, Tim. If they did, they would be here instead of traipsing all over Europe…"

Tim's face was kind but Makayla knew he wasn't falling for her dramatics. "Is that what they are doing?"

"What difference does it make what they are doing? Shouldn't they be here with me right now? Aren't I more important than their stupid careers?"

Tim smiled kindly at her. "Mak, believe me when I say, I understand what you're saying. My dad was married to his job and I hardly ever saw him and when I did, I felt like he was always disappointed in me. Nothing I did was good enough for him."

"You see? You know exactly what I'm saying…"

McGee raised his hand to forestall her. "I do understand; however, I also understand that my father meant well. I can see that now because I'm older. He was strict because he wanted me to turn out right and be successful."

Makayla heaved a heavy sigh, standing to her feet. "I don't care about being successful, Tim. I just want to be happy."

McGee looked up at her, taking her forearm gently so she wouldn't take off like he suspected she was planning. "Be patient, Mak. Don't be so quick to grow up. You have a lot of time to pursue your passions."

"Makayla Wallace, I've had just about enough of your nonsense today. Gather your belongings; we are going home. Now."

McGee and Makayla looked up to see a very perturbed Jenny Shepard looking down at them wither arms crossed.

Makayla felt her mouth go dry as she stood staring at her aunt. Tears blurred her vision and her last nerve exploded in her head. She had given it her best to honour Gibbs but she had reached her breaking point. Her aunt had pushed her past herself. She took one last look at McGee and without a word, she fled down the stairs and out of sight.

McGee looked at Jenny. "Do you want me to go after her?"

Jenny sighed. "No. Thanks, Agent McGee. I can handle it."

McGee nodded and headed down the steps.


	30. Chapter 30

_**Authors Note:**_

 _ **Just a short little chapter, guys. Thanks to all those who have reviewed my story. They encourage me, and I love seeing your comments and ideas.**_

"Jethro?"

Gibbs was startled awake to see Jenny looking down at him with a strained look on her face. He sat up a little, groaning as his back protested the position he had fallen into during his slumber. He rubbed at his eyes and blinked them several times, trying to clear the cobwebs from his brain. He had no clue what time it was or how long he'd been asleep. Up until he woke up, he hadn't even realised that he'd fallen asleep. The fact that he'd let his guard down enough to do that bothered him a little. He glanced sideways him to see that Riley was still sedated, the bag of saline still dripping. The doctor has said the kid was dehydrated, malnourished and just plain exhausted. Gibbs hadn't been surprised. Sedation was recommended and since as far as they knew, Riley, at 18 years old, was an adult in the eyes of the law, the doctors did what they thought was best. Riley had been in no condition to give permission or protest. Gibbs told them what he knew and stayed with him. He felt obligated to the boy in more ways than one. He had fallen asleep searching his mind for the best way to help the kid. He was going to need to call in a few favours.

"What time is it?" he managed, his voice gravelly.

"Almost 06:00 hours. You've been out a long time. I was starting to worry."

Gibbs frowned. "Heard anything from the surgeons yet?" Aimee had gone into surgery without too much of a fight. It had surprised Gibbs how easily she had submitted to his requests. On one hand, he was relieved but on the other, it worried him. Aimee was a fighter but even Gibbs could tell she was tired. Much too tired for such a young child.

Jenny shook her head and pulled up a chair. "Nothing yet."

Gibbs straightened up in his chair, grimacing as he did. He felt much older than his 50 years and sleeping under boats and in hospital chairs certainly didn't help matters. Gibbs caught the pained expression in Jenn's eyes and from the look of it; it had to be about something other than him.

"What's the matter?"

"Makayla took off again," Jenny blurted out all at once. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she worked hard to blink them away causing Gibbs groan. He hated seeing her cry.

"Damn," he muttered. He didn't need this headache on top of everything else. He knew by the look on Jenn's face that it hadn't been something she wanted to bring up to him right now, but she was desperate.

As if reading his mind, she said, "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up. I know she's my responsibility…"

Gibbs shook his head. "It's okay, Jenn. I care about Mak too."

Jenny's face was white. "I know you do. I'm so worried, Jethro…"

Gibbs' face was compassionate. "I need ya to trust me on something, Jenn…"

"What?"

"I want you to have faith in Makayla to do the right thing."

"Didn't you hear me? She TOOK off! I have no idea where she is!" Jenny's voice was frantic.

Gibbs nodded calmly. "I heard you, Jenn, but Mak promised me she wouldn't run away again. She knows how I feel about that, and she's seen how Aimee's disappearance has impacted all of us. She's a smart kid. I trust her, and you should too."

Jenny's lip trembled but she nodded. "I hope you're right," she managed, doubt in her voice.

Gibbs looked at his watch briefly. "I know I am. Besides, I already warned her what I'd do if she breaks my trust. I don't think she's going to take that risk." Gibbs had faith that Makayla wouldn't do anything rash, but he planned to check out a few hunches anyway. "How'd the talk go?" he said, remembering his earlier conversation with the teen girl. He was hoping Mak's discussion with Jenn had been at least amicable. A part of him wasn't terribly surprised that Mak ran off from her aunt. Jenn had a habit of laying things on thick at the best of times. He had no doubt Jenny Shepard gave Mak an earful. Gibbs just hoped that the girl gave herself a timeout close by and hadn't actually jumped ship. He didn't need that right now. He didn't have the patience to deal with it.

"What talk?"

"With Mak. You raked her over the coals about letting Riley go free, right?"

"Well, of course, I did. She and Abby…"

Gibbs sighed. "I know all that, Jenn. I'm asking you how she reacted."

Jenny looked at him incredulously. "She took off! That's how she reacted."

Gibbs sighed again, frustration becoming his intimate friend where females were concerned. It was no use trying to get her to follow his line of thinking. She was too emotional and distraught, so was he for that matter. "Where's Abby?" he said, changing the topic.

Jenn looked taken aback by the abrupt change of topic but she answered nonetheless. "I convinced her to go home and get some rest. She was panicking and saying it was her fault that Makayla took off…"

"Mak was texting her, Jenn. She told Abby that you were pissing her off."

Jenny sighed. "Glad I'm good at something."

Gibbs smiled sympathetically.

Jenny stood to her feet and walked over to Riley. She stood staring at him for several minutes before reaching out and brushing his long hair from his cheek.

Jenny turned to face Gibbs, biting her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Jethro, I can't hold the SecNav off any longer. Riley's in a lot of trouble. We need to alert the proper authorities."

"I know." Gibbs looked at Riley glumly. "He's so damned young."

Jenny dropped her hands to her side and leaned against the wall facing Gibbs. "A lot of them are young. Hell, you weren't much older when you join the Marines."

"True, but I didn't run away from my father because he beat the crap out of me."

Jenn frowned. "What makes you think he did?"

"Did a little digging. It's not a pretty story."

"So? None of this is our concern, Jethro. Our job is to report him to the proper authorities, and let them handle it. The SecNav wants to know why you're hedging and making his life so damned difficult. He trusts your gut, Gibbs, just like the rest of us, but this nonsense has gone on too long."

"His D.I. was Gunny Sergeant Adams, Jenn," said Gibbs, softly.

Jenn's mouth dropped open and Gibbs knew she recognized the name. "Geez."

"Yah. The Marines best kept secret strikes again. Set aside the fact that Riley is barely 18 years old, Jenn, think long and hard; how many times has that damned name came across our desks over the past several years? Just how many times are we going to turn a blind eye to recruits being injured or killed under the leadership of that bastard?"

Jenn puffed out her cheeks wearily. "McGee told me an irate Sergeant had stormed NCIS earlier this week, but I never paid much attention to it."

Gibbs chuckled sardonically. "What else is new?"

Jenny sighed. "This is nothing to joke about, Jethro. Why the hell didn't you have Riley detained? Why did you leave him where you did?"

"Because he's a kid, and he needed a break so I cut him one. He needed compassion, not condemnation, and when I heard him mention Adams, my gut raged. That idiot waterboarded the kid, for crying out loud. That's a form of torture, Jenn. The kid is 18 years old. Barely out of high school! Riley needed someone to show him they cared. He's been beaten and abused, and from what I can tell, he barely escaped with his life."

Jenny crossed her arms. "He's U.A, Jethro, and that means he's in deep trouble. You aided and abetted him by allowing him to stay in that conference room. That foolish mistake allowed Abby and Makayla access to him."

"You can say what you want, Jenn." Gibbs rose to his feet and paced across the floor, stretching out his legs. He walked the length of the room and turned. "It's not the first time I've been in trouble for doing something outside of the bounds of NCIS, and it sure as hell won't be the last. I'm not above calling in a few favours, and if anyone deserves it, Riley does." Gibbs' voice caught in his throat, "H-He saved my daughter's life, Jenn, and I don't take that kind of thing lightly."

Jenn blinked, taking in his words. Her arms dropped to her side and her heart went out to him. The pain in her old friend's voice was raw. Jenny could see that Gibbs was beginning to unravel. "Jethro, I am so sorry."

Gibbs' face paled as pain etched his features. His heart was aching so badly; he didn't think he could find the strength to take his next breath let alone keep arguing with her. His little girl was in surgery, fighting for her life and suddenly everything else was pale in comparison. He didn't care about his job or the Sec Nav or any other bastard big wig out there with no heart. None of it mattered to him at the moment. Suddenly, without warning, hot tears filled his eyes. As hard as he tried to blink them away, he couldn't. The pressure was unbearable. His face flushed and tears rolled down his cheeks. As much as he fought to stop them, the dam opened and he gave into it. Something had to give before he imploded. He looked at Jenn pathetically. If he had to lose control of himself, he felt safe doing it in front of her.


	31. Chapter 31

_**Thanks for all the great reviews and comments. There are quite a lot of storylines happening all at once so hopefully, you'll bear with me as they all play out...don't worry, I won't forget about Riley...his storyline is going to be interesting. Special thanks to 90TheGeneral09 for help with the military side of things.** **Check out his story "The Cadet."**_ _**I will be utilizing a character of his (with his permission and he has written a scene for me as well) when Gibbs calls in a favour.**_

 _ **And Poor Aimee...she's in for a bumpy ride as well.**_

 _ **Enjoy :)**_

Makayla poked her head around the corner cautiously, doing what she could to not be seen. She heard voices in the distance, and she didn't want to be caught again. The night nurse had been out-and-out rude to her earlier. In the distance, she could just make out her aunt and Agent Gibbs speaking with a doctor. Kids under the age of 16 weren't permitted in ICU unless they were family or something, or so one of the nurses had told her. Mak had finally managed to sneak her way past the scary, grouchy night nurse. She'd waited for almost a half hour to gain entrance. It hadn't taken long for her to figure out the system, however, even though she was tossed out once. Ring the ICU front desk; they buzz you in; one of the security officers greets you at the door and escorts you to the front desk so you can see your family member. The man who rang in was buzzed in but for some reason didn't receive an escort. Makayla walked in with him, telling him she'd gone out to use the washrooms. The guy was distracted and didn't appear interested in her at all, quickly leaving her behind without a second thought.

Makayla felt her heart skip a few beats in her chest as she continued to watch her aunt and Gibbs from a distance. She knew she should have just gone home instead of coming to the hospital. Her aunt had taken her phone from her earlier so she had no way to contact anyone to let them know where she was. A part of her had been tempted to head to New York as she'd planned before, but in all honesty; her zeal to do that had diminished. Some of the things Gibbs said resonated with her, and she really wanted to speak with him.

Being a permanent fixture at NCIS had its advantages, namely, no one questioned her when she asked about stuff. She'd politely asked an agent if he knew which hospital Gibb's daughter was at and the guy had cheerfully given her the Intel. Slipping out of NCIS had been as easy as telling the security guard that her aunt told her to go home. Mak had been surprised it'd been so easy. She'd figured her aunt would have sent out the SWAT team to find her by now. Apparently, all it took was a change of shift to muddle up messages, at least in regards to her anyway.

Makayla gulped in trepidation when Gibbs began to walk in her direction. She'd been so careful and she didn't want to be found out until she was good and ready. She shrunk back into the crevice between the window and the wall. She held her breath as Gibbs grew closer and then walked right past her, heading towards the exit. She peered in the other direction watching her aunt sit down. Mak strained her eyes to see if she could make out her aunt's expression. Her aunt looked exhausted. Mak hung her head in shame; she felt sure a big part of that weariness pertained to her aunt thinking she'd run away again.

"Glad to know you didn't go far, Makayla."

Makayla's eyes widened as she slowly turned to see Gibbs staring down at her sternly.

"Uh, hi, Agent Gibbs."

"Hi, yourself." Gibbs took her by the crook of the elbow and pulled her out of her hiding spot. "Nice of you to stop by."

Mak managed a crooked smile. "How's Aimee?"

Gibbs stern countenance softened. "The doctors' say it's going to be another few hours but so far so good; she's hanging in there. She's a strong kid."

Mak pulled her arm away and gently placed her hand on Gibbs' forearm. "She really is strong, Agent Gibbs. You've got to believe that. Aimee's gonna beat this; I just know it."

Gibbs smiled. "I'm trying." He winked at her and messed up her hair playfully. "We'll all just need to keep the faith, won't we?"

Makayla smiled and nodded, brushing her hair from her eyes. Gibbs wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in close and Makayla let out a breath of relief. She hadn't been sure how her presence would go over, and Gibbs' warm embrace had calmed her jitters.

"C'mon. I'm going to get some coffee. You and I should have a little chat."

Mak swallowed hard but didn't say anything. It was late but not so late that there wouldn't still be other people mingling in the hospital restaurant. Hospitals tended to keep their own hours with people coming and going all hours of the night. Sickness, death and emergencies weren't limited to the daytime hours.

As they walked, Makayla took a sideways glance at Gibbs. He looked disheartened, worried and worn out. Makayla knew he was troubled but he was masking it behind his tough facade. Business, as usual, was the normal Gibbs' mantra. Makayla didn't know how he managed it. While he looked calm and collected, she felt like she was crumbling to pieces.

"I didn't take off, Agent Gibbs," she muttered quietly as they walked.

Gibbs stopped and looked at her. "Did I say you did?"

"No, but it's probably what you're thinking."

Gibbs shook his head. "You're here, aren't you?" Gibbs started walking again, and Makayla followed his lead trailing behind a little.

"I know you're mad at me," she mumbled irritably.

"I'm not mad." He kept walking.

Makayla sighed loudly. They walked a little farther until they reached another corridor. Gibbs hung a left and then a right until the smell of coffee smacked them in the face. Makayla wrinkled her nose in protest. She couldn't stand the smell of the stuff.

"Aunt Jenny took my phone, ya know. That's why I couldn't call or text her."

"They don't have phones anywhere else?"

Mak shrugged knowing her excuse was lame. "You sure you're not mad?"

They reached the end of the hallway and turned one more corner to see the cafeteria door. Gibbs reached the door and stopped. "Do I look angry?"

"I can't tell. Your face always looks kinda mad."

Gibbs smirked, pulled the door open and gestured her to enter before him. Makayla sighed again and wandered into the room. It was devoid of people other than someone who looked like a doctor half asleep in the far corner. The staff had long left for the evening and the coffee and food was left to people on the honour system.

Gibbs reached out for some mugs. He poured himself a cup of coffee and he turned to Mak briefly. "Coffee?"

Makayla wrinkled her nose.

"Not the coffee type?"

She shook her head.

"How about some hot chocolate?"

She nodded and accepted the hot treat that he offered her. She brought it to her nose and inhaled its chocolatey goodness. It smelled so delicious that it made her stomach growl. Makayla blushed and pushed her fist into her stomach to quiet it down.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "You eat today?"

"Not since lunch."

Gibbs grabbed a couple of sandwiches, paid for their choices and led the way to a table in a secluded spot of the café. He set his stuff down and pulled out a chair for her. Makayla sat down and sipped at her hot drink.

"Thanks, Agent Gibbs."

"Not a problem."

They sat quietly for several minutes eating and drinking. Makayla fidgeted becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the silence

"What did you want to talk about?"

Gibbs stretched out his legs and wrapped his hands around his coffee cup. "How'd your chat go with your aunt?"

"I feel like that's a loaded question."

"It's not."

Mak narrowed her eyes. "What'd _she_ tell you?"

"She told me you ran off."

"I didn't!" Her voice was indignant.

"I can see that; now, answer the question."

Makayla sighed remembering their earlier conversation. She knew Gibbs wanted to know if she'd given her aunt a hard time. Makayla didn't think she had and by taking off for a while, she felt it had improved things. Had she stayed, she would have been sure to freak out and say something offensive to her aunt. She didn't relish having to own up to that with Gibbs. The man scared her when he got all parental. "I wasn't disrespectful, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded. "Good. Glad to hear it." He took a long drink of his coffee and closed his eyes.

"That's it?"

"Anything else you want to tell me?"

Makayla set her cup down and stood to her feet. "I didn't do anything wrong, Agent Gibbs. Aunt Jenny started to hassle me about helping Riley escape, telling me that it was none of my business. I disagree! Someone had to do something because the rest of you had your hands tied. Riley was in the position to do something. He saved Aimee! Aunt Jenny is so damned uptight about following rules and protocol even if it's wrong!"

"Jenny has a difficult job, Mak."

"I know she does. I never said she didn't but, Agent Gibbs, there has to be a time that you say screw it and do what's right. If being an adult means that I have to compromise what I believe in, then I'm not sure I want to grow up."

Gibbs smiled. "I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter, kiddo."

Mak scowled at him. "Ahhhh!" she screamed loudly in frustration.

The slumbering doctor across the room startled awake and glared at them in annoyance. Gibbs shrugged and nodded in his direction. Makayla stomped her feet a few times and walked towards the exit.

"I hate my life!" she shouted as she stomped her feet. "Why can't everyone just leave me the hell alone?"

Gibbs listened quietly watching to see if she would bolt from the room. Mak stopped in the doorway and put her hands on her hips. Gibbs rose to his feet and came up behind her, pulling her into an embrace. He was relieved when she didn't pull away but instead melted into his arms. Gibbs' heart ached a little. Makayla seemed so starved for affection. The more rebellious she was, the more she craved to be loved. Makayla wasn't intentionally being a pain in the ass.

"Honey, why don't you tell me what's really bothering you?" Gibbs didn't often use terms of endearment, but kids always seemed to bring out the softie in him. Makayla was struggling to express herself and complaining about her aunt was just scratching the surface.

Makayla shrugged as she leaned into him.

Gibbs turned her around and tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "C'mon, Mak, spill it. Your aunt Jenny lecturing you about Riley is yesterday's news. I have a hard time believing that you're stewing this long over that."

"Is Abby gonna get in trouble on account of what we did?"

"Nope. Is that what you're worried about? Abby being in trouble?"

Makayla shook her head. "Not exactly."

"Then what?"

Mak tried to pull her chin away but Gibbs held it firmly looking deeply into her green eyes. Tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks and Gibbs wiped a few away with his thumb tenderly.

"Mackie, c'mon, what's wrong?"

"Aunt Jenny is going to make me board at school if I don't play nice." Makayla blurted out finally.

Gibbs let go of her chin. "I see."

"I hate that school, Agent Gibbs. I hate science; I suck at math. I can't take it anymore. I-I'm gonna quit, and I don't care what anyone says. I HATE IT!" Makayla wrapped her arms around her waist and allowed the tears to cascade down her cheeks. "I had a h-huge fight with my mom and dad before they left. They s-said that they weren't going to let me take any more art or music courses unless I brought my grades up by the time they got back."

Gibbs took a deep breath and released it slowly, debating carefully on what to say.

"How are your grades?"

Makayla's green eyes shimmered in the light. "I got my report card last week."

"And?"

"I'm failing math and science." Makayla's bottom lip trembled.

Gibbs wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her back to where they had been sitting. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. Makayla didn't fight his gesture of support and cuddled into his chest. Gibbs rested his head on hers. He figured there wasn't much difference between Janessa, Aimee, Makayla or Abby, for that matter. All of them were little girls craving love and acceptance.

"Have you told your Aunt Jenn about all this, Mak?"

She shook her head and sniffled.

Gibbs hugged her tightly. "Mackie, you need to start being honest with her. She's not a mind reader…"

Makayla stiffened in his arms. "She won't listen. She said she gonna make me board at school!"

Gibbs stroked her arm softly. "Okay, I'm going to make you a deal here. You tell her what's going on, and I'll ask McGee to help you with your homework. Tim is a wiz at everything science and math plus he's a really nice guy. What do you say?"

Makayla hiccupped. "Still doesn't change anything. I'm still stuck at a school I hate…I wanna go to an art school, Agent Gibbs. I wanna draw."

"You leave that to me. I've got an idea. Do you trust me?"

"I guess so…"

"Oh, no; you either trust me or you don't. Which is it?"

Mak sighed. "I trust you."

"Good. So, do we have a deal or not?"

"Will you come with me, Agent Gibbs? She's gonna be mad about my report card."

Gibbs thought a moment trying to read between the lines. "You afraid you'll lose it?"

Makayla nodded. "We had a deal, Agent Gibbs, and I wanna keep it. My butt's on the line."

Gibbs chuckled as he gently prodded her forward and stood to his feet. "Alright, let's go."

Makayla was quiet as she walked just a few steps behind Gibbs towards ICU. She noticed a heavy step to Gibb's gait as they got closer. He was quiet again, not that he was a man who spoke a lot anyway, but Mak could sense a change wash over him. His shoulders drooped and his footsteps grew sluggish. Mak's own heart began to thud harder in her chest as well. Once they reached the corridor where she remembered seeing her aunt earlier, a part of her started to panic. She just knew that her Aunt Jenny was not going to understand. Mak clenched her jaw trying to keep herself from running in the opposite direction.

"Anything, Jenn?" Gibbs asked as he entered the family sitting area and sat down.

Jenn looked up from her phone. "Nothing yet."

Makayla came in behind Gibbs and sheepishly looked at her aunt.

Jenny's face paled as she looked from Gibbs to Makayla and then back to Gibbs once more. The silent conversation that occurred between Gibbs and Jenn ensued quickly and without fuss. Gibbs merely nodded but remained silent.

"Just where have you been, young lady?" demanded Jenny, her voice strained.

Makayla tightened her hands together into fists and sat down beside Gibbs, deliberately placing herself as far away from her aunt as she could. Gibbs gave her a stern look and stood up, moving himself to a chair opposite to Makayla and Jenn. The message was clear. Makayla was not going to be hiding behind him. He would support her but he would not enable her.

"I…ummm…you took my phone so I couldn't call you," spluttered Makayla, inwardly kicking herself for using the same lame excuse she'd used with Gibbs.

Jenny reached into her purse, took out Makayla's cell phone and handed it to her crossly. Then she held up her own. "You couldn't manage to find a phone elsewhere?"

Makayla shrugged. "M'sorry."

Jenn glanced at Gibbs who was sitting flipping through a magazine he'd picked up off the table. It was a gossip rag that Jenn knew did not interest Gibbs in the least.

"Did you talk some sense into her, Jethro?"

Gibbs looked up. "This is between you and Mak, Jenn. I told her I would stay for moral support, but other than that, I'm not going to get involved. All I ask is that you listen to her."

Jenny glowered at him and then turned her glare on Makayla. "This isn't the place to discuss things. We will talk about this at home."

Tears burned in Makayla's eyes. Her heart was still thumping wildly in her chest. She knew that if she didn't spill the beans now, she wouldn't have the courage later.

"I got my report card last week, Aunt Jenny."

Jenny furrowed her brows. "You did? Why didn't you show it to me? Don't I need to sign it or something?"

"We're on the honour system at school. Parents don't need to sign reports once you're in junior high."

"I see." Jenn looked further annoyed by the news. "Well, you can show it to me when we get home. Do your parents know?"

Makayala shrugged. "I dunno. I haven't talked with them in a couple weeks. Mom texts me sometimes but not very often; mostly just to say that she hopes I'm minding you and studying hard."

Jenny crossed her legs and shoved her purse beside her on the chair but remained silent.

Makayla stood up and looked at Gibbs. Gibbs winked at her in encouragement.

"I…uh, I'm flunking math and science this semester," began Makayla slowly, rubbing her sweaty hands on her jeans.

"What? How come?" said Jenn loudly in disbelief. "Haven't you been studying? You always excuse yourself to your room every night and tell me you're studying. What are you doing in your room if you're not studying?"

Mak walked away from Jenny, keeping her back to her aunt. "I dunno…sometimes I fiddle around on my keyboard or guitar or I draw stuff…"

Jenn stood to her feet, walked over to Mak and spun her around. "That needs to stop, Makayla. You need to be more disciplined. If you can't handle those things in your room, then I'm going to take them out so you won't be distracted. School comes first, young lady, before leisure activities." Makayla took a quick glance at Gibbs as she pulled away from her aunt. She tried to take a deep breath to calm herself down but Jenny continued. "What will your father think when he comes home from Europe only to discover you're failing, huh? Your parents spend a lot of money to send you to that school. It's one of the top-rated schools in the United States for science and technology. Students are handpicked from your school for places like Stanford and MIT." Jenny's voice grew louder as she spoke.

Tears scalded Mak's eyes as she blinked fiercely to keep them from escaping.

"Until those grades come back up, you can consider yourself grounded, Makayla. No more hanging out at NCIS or with Abby. It's just to school and home. Maria is usually there cleaning in the afternoon so you won't be alone."

Makayla felt a volcano of emotions erupting inside of her. Being grounded and stuck at her aunt's house alone, day after day would be a prison sentence. At least when she came to NCIS after school, she had something to look forward to; Tony always joked around with her, Ziva taught her self-defence moves and Tim showed her cool new games online. Abby let her help with forensics which was the only thing interesting about science at all; Ducky told her interesting stories about all kinds of stuff, and Jimmy would often sneak outside with her and play catch. Everyone spent time with her despite their busy schedules, except her aunt. Even Gibbs would take her out for an after-school snack sometimes if he was around and not busy. After school at NCIS was her only sanity.

"YOU can't do THAT!" Makayla screamed as loudly as she could, taking leave of her emotions. She just could not bottle them up anymore. "I hate that school, and I don't care if I ever go back! NCIS is the only fun I ever have and you can't take that away from me!"

Jenny looked taken aback from Makayla's outburst. She took a threatening step forward and captured Makayla by the forearm. "That is enough, young lady. This is the closest you have ever come to the unfriendly side of a hairbrush with me. Don't push it." Jenny's voice was dangerously quiet. "I'm calling Cynthia to come pick you up and take you home. We will discuss this later."

Tears streamed from Makayla's cheeks, and she shook her aunt's hand from her arm. "NO! I'm sick of everyone telling me what to do with MY life! I'm not listening anymore. I'm not going back to school and you can't make me."

"Makayla Wallace, you keep your voice down right now. This is a hospital and people are sick…"

"I don't care!" Makayla shouted. She shoved past her aunt trying to escape the room but Gibbs' stepped in front of her and she landed in his arms. Gibbs held her tightly to prevent her from leaving but didn't say anything. She sobbed into his chest as he caressed the back of her head gently.

At that moment, blue lights began to flash above their heads and an intercom came to life.

"Code blue. All emergency personnel please report to your stations. I repeat Code blue," stated an automated voice.

The lights kept flashing and the message kept repeating.

Gibbs held a sobbing Makayla in his arms as he looked at Jenny in alarm. Gibbs felt his heart clench in his chest. Just what was happening, and did it have anything to do with Aimee?


	32. Chapter 32

Gibbs sucked in a deep breath and forced it out slowly in order to keep himself calm. There was no need to panic, yet he still felt his adrenaline rise despite his inner monologue. He pulled Makayla in closer to him without thinking. The girl continued to cry not even seeming to notice the flashing lights and emergency protocols occurring around her. Gibbs' heart pounded a little harder as he assured himself that everything was still okay. The code could be mean anything, and just because Aimee was in surgery did not mean it had anything to do with her. Even as staff scurried around, rushing into the ICU like industrious ants, Gibbs forced himself to breathe in and out deeply. Makayla fidgeted under his constricting embrace, probably because he had clutched onto her so tightly. Gibbs released her.

"Hey, I'm proud of you." He whispered into her ear before pulling away entirely.

Makayla's eyes were as large as saucers. "What's happening, Agent Gibbs?" she asked, her lower lip trembling.

"I'm not sure, but your Aunt Jenn is right. You need to go home with Cynthia when she comes, okay?" Makayla looked like she wanted to protest, but Gibbs shot her a look—something between don't mess with me and please, cut me a break- and she relented. "I'm on your side, Mak. You did good!"

Jenny stalked up behind them. "Jethro!" Her voice sounded exasperated.

Gibbs turned and shot Jenny a look as well. "Not now, Jenn."

Jenny glared at him as the blue lights continued to flash ominously above them casting uncertainness into the air.

"Promise me, you won't give Cynthia any trouble," said Gibbs to Makayla, still eying her directly.

Mak sighed and nodded. She was sullen as she wandered back to a chair.

Gibbs pulled Jenn from the waiting room, a mixture of annoyance and concern lingering on his features. "That took a lot of guts for her to say that. Why are you being so harsh?"

Jenny's face flushed "I'm not."

Gibbs lifted a brow.

Jenny sighed. "Okay, I am." She threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know how to handle this, Jethro. What am I supposed to do? I'm not her parent. I don't have the authority to pull her from school."

"No, but you can listen, and maybe sympathize with her."

"Since when did you become the expert?"

Gibbs raked a hand through his salt and pepper hair. "Geez, Jenn, all I'm asking is for you to lighten up a little. You have nothing to prove here, and we could help Mak."

"We?"

"Yes, we. I care about her too, you know, and I think she should have a say in what she wants to do with her life. It _is_ her life."

"It's not your decision." Jenny looked away from Gibbs in exasperation and then saw a tall, dark-haired female doctor coming up behind him. The woman's expression made Jenny's heart rate quicken a little. Jenn put a hand on Gibbs' forearm, nodded in the woman's direction. Gibbs frowned and turned to see Dr. Katherine Ambrose looking at him in all seriousness.

"Agent Gibbs, may I have a word with you in private?"

Gibbs' eyes widened slightly but he nodded and followed her, tossing a concerned look Jenny's way. Jenny held her breath for several moments as she watched them disappeared around the corner.

Swallowing her uneasiness, Jenn made a quick call to her secretary and good friend, Cynthia, explaining a little about the situation. Cynthia was more than willing to pick up Makayla and escort her home. She even offered to stay with the girl until Jenn returned home. Jenny was grateful and took her up on the offer. She didn't want Makayla to be alone, but she felt like she needed to stay and at least find out what the doctor had to say to Gibbs before she left.

Jenn entered the waiting room to see Makayla staring at her phone with her knees tucked up under her chin.

Jenny inhaled deeply and sat beside her niece. "I'm sorry for shouting at you, Makayla."

Makayla didn't look at her but kept staring at her phone. "S'ok."

"Did you text your mom?"

"Yah, but she didn't answer."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Sometimes."

Jenny leaned back against the wall. "Cynthia is coming to get you. She'll stay with you until I get home. I shouldn't be too long, but I think I should stay with Agent Gibbs for a little longer. You understand, right?"

"Fine."

"My driver will take you to school in the morning if by chance I don't make it home tonight."

"Whatever."

Jenn stood to her feet once more. "I'll pick you up after school, and we'll go for ice cream or something. We can talk some more then, okay?"

Makayla looked up at her and nodded, remaining quiet.

Jenny didn't know what else to say so she turned to walk out of the room, stopping at the entrance. "Cynthia should be here in about 20 minutes. I'm going to check on Riley and see if Agent Gibbs is okay. Will you be okay on your own for a bit?"

"Yah."

"See you later, sweetie."

XxXxNCISxXxX

When Jenny exited the room, Makayla breathed a sigh of relief. Trying to express herself to her aunt took too much out of her. Her Aunt Jenny was the most formidable woman she knew outside of some of her instructors at school. It used to be that her aunt was cool but not anymore. Her sister and she used to be so excited to visit and go shopping with her. Jenny had been so fun and definitely nothing like their mother who was so uptight all the time, but something changed when her aunt became the director of NCIS. Now her aunt was all business all the time. It was like the woman had forgotten what it was like to kick back, relax and have fun. Makayla stood up and stuck her phone in her pocket. The hospital was quiet now which was a welcome relief to the eerie code blue alarm ringing. It had given Mak the shivers imagining someone dying, possibly even Aimee.

Makayla walked out of the waiting area and looked around her. The lights were dimmed in the corridors now and most of the rooms' lights were out. Mak had no idea what time it was, and she groaned thinking about having to get up and go to school the next morning. She knew she'd be tired and grouchy; that was never a good way to start the day. It was like setting herself up for failure from the get-go. Something was bound to go wrong and then she'd end up in more trouble with her aunt. The thought of being grounded to the house was already making her feel miserable. Her life had gone from just mildly tolerable to completely unbearable. She didn't even seem to have many friends at school anymore. She just couldn't seem to relate to the other girls there. All of them had such a drive to succeed, but Makayla just didn't share the same desire. There just had to more to life than that.

"Excuse me."

Makayla jumped a little as she was dragged out of her inner musing and looked up to see a stocky, blonde haired man walking towards her. She smiled awkwardly. Something about the man made her feel uneasy. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but the guy seemed off somehow. She glanced around her only to realize that she was completely alone in the outer ICU entrance.

"Sorry, honey; I didn't mean to startle you."

Makayla shrugged. "Um…it's okay."

"I'm looking for a nurse or someone who could give me some information."

"There was a code blue a while ago and all the staff disappeared into the ICU. I'm sure if you buzz at the desk, someone will be able to help you."

The man smiled. Makayla shivered a little when he did. The smirk didn't seem sincere but more forced. He eyed her closely, looking her up and down like he was appraising her for something. She began to feel very uncomfortable in his presence.

"Thanks. Think I'll wait a bit to see if anyone comes back. You alone here?"

Red flags went off in the back of Makayla's mind. Gibbs had left and entered ICU and her aunt had gone after him. She had no inkling when or if either one of them were going to return. She didn't even know if Cynthia knew where she was located in the hospital. She didn't know if it was wise to wait where she was or head to the front entrance. She just had no clue. Suddenly she regretted her indifference towards her aunt. Perhaps if she had been willing to talk, her aunt would still be with her.

"No, um, my aunt just slipped to the washroom," she lied, "She'll be back in a few minutes."

The man nodded. "Who are you visiting?" he asked, seeming to nervously look around them.

Makayla instincts began to kick in high gear. Everything within her was telling her she needed to get away from the man as soon as possible. She swallowed slowly and took a few nonchalant steps away from him.

"My friend's in surgery. We're waiting to see if she'll be okay. What about you?"

Makayla's mind began to spin in circles and her heart thumped hard in her chest.

The man closed the distance between them, smiling again. "My grandmother had a heart attack."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," whispered Makayla, trying to appear unfazed.

The man took another step towards Makayla and as he did, she could smell the liquor on his breath. Makayla took a few more steps back and realized that she had her back to the wall now.

"Umm…I'm pretty sure my aunt will be back any minute…"

The man reached out and brushed her hair from her face. "You're a very pretty girl. What's your name?"

Makayla quickly ducked from under his arm and took a few fast steps away before turning around and glaring at him. She kept backing away from him while keeping her eyes on him carefully. She felt cornered and terrified. She desperately searched her surroundings looking for a way to escape or distract the man. Tears sprang to her eyes when she realized that she was completely alone. All she could do was run and hope she could beat him to the elevator.

"Please, leave me alone," she whimpered.

"Aw, c'mon I'm not gonna hurtcha. I bet you've kissed your share of boys before." The man leered at her treacherously.

Makayla held both of her hands up in front of her to keep him away. Her heart was racing now and she was breathing heavily, so much that she was feeling a little light headed. The man kept walking towards her with a nefarious look on his face. Makayla shivered and took off running in the opposite direction. The man immediately took off running, his enamoured expression exchanged for a look of maliciousness that could not be mistaken.

"Come back here, kid!"

"Help me!" she shouted as she bolted down the vacant hallway.

Between racing as fast as she could and turned to see where her pursuer was, she lost her footing and stumbled to the ground. As she quickly scurried to gain her footing, the man reached her and grabbed her pulling her roughly to her feet. Before she could shriek again, he spun her around and clamped a sweaty palm over her mouth.

"Shut up!" he hissed in her ear, shaking her brutally.

Makayla breathed heavily, her fearful eyes as round as saucers. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she swallowed several times, kicking her feet around.

The burly man tightened his grip on her mouth and started dragging her the rest of the way towards the elevator. Makayla whimpered in terror. The man was panting hard from the altercation.

"No need to be so unfriendly. Relax," he said, patting her face gently, "I promise we're gonna have a lot of fun."


	33. Chapter 33

_**To all my amazing readers and reviewers: Thanks! I covet your reviews.**_

 _ **I promise I won't abandon the story...it's just slow going. My baby girl turned one year old, and my next baby girl turned two. Octobers are busy months for birthdays here. Many of you congratulated me when they were born :)**_

 _ **Here's a little chapter for you.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading along. Plenty more to come.**_

 _ **Love to all,**_

 _ **Jenny Wrens :)**_

Tony checked his cell phone again as he waited for the elevator to reach the fourth floor. Gibbs hadn't responded to his last several texts, and he really required some kind of direction. Riley wasn't going to stay sedated forever, and he needed to know how he should proceed. Tony tapped his phone against his chin, lost in thought. Things had become so out of the ordinary, and Tony wasn't sure how well Gibbs was handling the pressure. He'd known the man for a long time, and Gibbs had only ever been emotionally involved a time or two but never to the extent that he seemed to have become with Riley. What was it about the young man that seemed to set Gibbs off the rails? Or, was it more his mentor had lost his head because of Aimee's illness? Tony couldn't be sure, but he was determined to do what he could to support his boss and friend. If Gibbs wasn't able to step up to the plate, then maybe Tony would need to be the one to rise to the occasion. Just then the lift doors opened and to Tony's surprise and horror, they opened to hear Makayla's muffled and terrified scream. Before he even realized what he was doing, his instincts kicked into high gear and he took the lowlife down to the ground with one solid punch to the throat. The guy went down like a stone and Makayla went flying, tumbling across the floor.

In an instant, Tony was scooping Makayla up into his arms. "Hey, you okay? What happened?" Tony kept a close eye on the miscreant who lay on the floor rolling around in obvious agony, grasping at his throat.

Makayla threw her arms around Tony's neck and sobbed, not being able to answer any of his questions. Tony could feel her trembling all over; he pulled her in close, wrapping his strong arms around her protectively while hushing her softly and gently kissing the side of her head.

"It's okay, Mackie, you're safe now."

Tony felt his heart racing in his chest. He had no idea what he had walked in on, but he found himself feeling very thankful he had chosen the timing he did. He held Mak in his arms and continued to stare at the predator still flailing around on the floor. Tony could see that the guy was winded and badly bruised but perfectly capable of breathing. It hadn't been the first time he'd used the move, so he knew just how much force to use; too much could crush the trachea and too little made him vulnerable to an immediate retaliation. His instincts had kicked in and worked for him. He was grateful for his training and gut reactions.

"Why are you alone?" Tony tried again pulling Makayla away from him. Her flushed face and terrified eyes told him a story he didn't want to read. "Did he hurt you?"

Makayla shook her head fiercely but still couldn't find her tongue. She gasped for air as sobs racked her small frame.

From the corner of his eye, Tony could see the man struggling to his feet. Tony shifted Makayla in his arms and drew his gun, pointing it with accuracy.

"If I were you, I'd stay on the ground." The guy made direct eye contact with Tony and lowered himself to the ground once more. For the first time since arriving Tony caught the smell of booze drifting off the guy. The man reeked of liquor.

"H-He said he was coming to see his sick grandmother…" stammered Makayla, her frightened eyes wild.

"Where's Jenny? Why are you here alone, Mak?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Blue lights were flashing, and things went crazy. The doctor came and t-took Agent Gibbs away. Aunt Jenny went to see what's wrong. Cynthia was supposed to get me. H-he grabbed me…" Makayla dissolved into tears once more.

"I wasn't gonna hurt her," croaked the man gruffly from the floor and then began coughing violently.

Tony kept a protective arm around Makayla as he kept his gun trained on the creep coughing his head off.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs stared at Aimee through the glass window in the children's intensive care unit. Her small frame looked even more fragile beneath all the wires and tubes connected to her. He'd been warned that they had intubated her, but he still hadn't been ready for the sight he saw. Aimee had stopped breathing during the surgery and putting her on a ventilator had saved her life. Gibbs felt his stomach clench hard and he had to grip the wall to keep his balance. The doctor said they'd managed to take out the chip, but they'd no guarantee of what kind of damage the chip or the surgery had done to the child. No one would know until Aimee woke up. If she woke up. There were no promises and no assurances. It was now a matter of playing the waiting a game: the game no parent wished to play ever.

Gibbs put his hand upon the window yearning with his entire being to be holding Aimee's hand and stroking her blonde hair. He wasn't allowed to enter the room for the first 24 hours after the surgery. Aimee needed complete quiet to rest and heal. Tears ran unabashedly down his cheeks. He'd never had a chance to worry or pray over his wife and daughter; they'd been instantly killed in a car accident years ago. Gibbs always wondered what life would have been like had they survived. Would Shannon have wanted Aimee and Janessa?

"C'mon, Aims, you can fight this, girl. Goodness knows you have the fighting spirit. You give me a run for my money every day. Come back to me, kid," he murmured softly, the glass fogging under the warmth of his breath.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder causing him to spin around somewhat startled. His concerned, cobalt blue eyes caught sight of Jenn's warm green eyes. He felt himself relax a little and a small smile pulled at his lips. It was strange how Jenny's presence always seemed to bring him so much comfort lately. He couldn't explain it.

"How's she doing, Jethro?"

He shrugged and turned to stare through the glass once more. "She's not breathing on her own."

He heard Jenny gasp.

"She's strong, Jenn," he managed to whisper, not sure if he was saying it more to calm her fears or his own.

"She is," agreed Jenny, her voice soft and comforting. "Did they get out the chip?"

He nodded. "They sent it to NCIS." A part of him despised the little piece of technology. So many people had died for it and plenty more still could. There was so much riding on the little chip, and he sure as hell hoped Abby could find something useful on it after everything that had happened. Maybe now Aimee would be safe. That is, if she lived through this.

Jenny wrapped her arms around him from behind. "That little girl in there is a prize-fighter just like her father. She's stubborn and determined. She's going to make it, Jethro. Don't lose hope."

Gibbs nodded again. He patted her warm, comforting hand and pulled away long enough to draw her into an embrace. Screw what was appropriate or not, he needed Jenn's strength. He'd reached the end of his own and was running on empty.

They stood like that for several minutes before Gibbs pulled away, tears lingering on his cheeks.

"If anyone would have asked me a year ago what I'd be doing today, I'd have said working on another boat to burn; never thought my heart would be pieced back together by two little blonde haired monsters." Gibbs heard himself chuckle softly. The sound was foreign in his ears.

"You're a good man, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You gave those two girls a whole new life. They're lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have them." More than ever, Gibbs knew that he had been blessed with a second chance. His heart had mended and allowed him to love again. He knew Ness and Aimee were the reason why.

Jenn smiled. "How's your dad managing with Janessa?"

Gibbs took a few steps away, his back to the ICU glass. "My dad adores that little imp. She's got him wrapped around her cute pinky finger. He can't say no to her. Gave her chocolate chip pancakes for supper with ice cream. She'll have him up all night."

Jenny giggled. "Scientific studies have proven sugar doesn't affect behaviour, Gibbs."

Gibbs scoffed. "Talk to me after you've spent an evening alone with Janessa loaded up on ice cream sundaes, then we'll see who believes those studies.

Jenny laughed again.

Gibbs sobered suddenly and glanced towards Aimee again. "I'm not sure I will make it if she dies, Jenn. It almost broke me when Kelly and Shannon were taken from me. It still affects me today. I don't think I have what it takes to go through that again."

Jenny placed a hand on his forearm sympathetically. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Jethro, but let's not borrow trouble. One day at a time."

Gibbs nodded and took a deep breath. He knew Jenny was right, but he couldn't help nursing the brooding feeling building within him. He put both hands on the glass and leaned his forehead on it, closing his eyes and saying a silent prayer. He wasn't a praying man normally, but it was obvious he had reached the end of everything natural. Now he needed something supernatural. And if there was a God out there with some kind of supernatural control of the universe, he wasn't so proud that he couldn't acknowledge it and beg for compassion.

"Did you and Mak talk anymore?" asked Gibbs, his mind beginning to feel more at peace. He didn't look at Jenn nor did he move his head away from the glass. The coolness felt nice on his forehead and for once, it felt nice to not hold his own head up.

"Cynthia probably has her by now."

Gibbs reluctantly lifted his head and turned to look at his friend. "That's not what I asked."

"She didn't want to talk to me, Jethro. She's angry."

"Well, I'm thinking she has a right to be."

Jenny growled under her breath. "I don't want to discuss this anymore. I'm her aunt, not her mother. I'm just caring for her while her parents are in Europe."

Gibbs rubbed his eyes and wandered over to a chair to sit down. He knew he should probably head home and get some rest. The medical team had made it clear that no one could visit Aimee tonight. She was stable and they would let him know if there were any changes. There was nothing more he could do tonight. Sleep would do him and Jenny a world of good.

Almost as if reading his mind, Jenny said, "You should get some rest, Jethro. There's nothing else you can do tonight. C'mon, I call my driver to take us both home."

Gibbs looked up at her and nodded. He reached a hand up to her, and she pulled him to his feet with a small grin. He swung an arm around her shoulder and followed her out of the Children's Intensive care area.

As they rounded the corner, they heard a commotion that caught Gibbs' attention. In the distance, he could see some LEOs with a man in custody; Gibbs' brows furrowed when he noticed Tony with a distraught Makayla. The teen girl was acting panic-stricken, and his gut told him that something was very wrong. As they grew a little closer and Makayla caught sight of her aunt, the young teen pulled away from Tony and bolted towards them, flying straight into Jenny's arms. Gibbs quickly put a hand to Jenn's back to keep her upright.

"Hey now, what's wrong Makayla?" crooned Jenny. Gibbs was taken aback at how tender and maternal Jenn sounded as she wrapped her arms around the girl. It wasn't a side he saw often. He liked it.

Makayla was visibly shaken and sobbing. "T-that guy…he…I was so scared," she managed between sobs.

Gibbs placed a gentle hand on her sweaty head and looked towards Tony. "What the hell is going on, DiNozzo?"

Before Tony could speak, one of the local LEOs took a few steps towards Gibbs. "Are you her parents?" the red-headed officer asked, pulling his notebook out of his pocket. The other officer, a tall brunette, struggled to hold the perpetrator as the man fought against the handcuffs.

"Lemme go, you stupid idiot," the man slurred, spitting onto the floor.

"Hold still," commanded the officer. "Do you want me to take him down to the squad car, Nick?" The woman was struggling to contain the inebriated man. Gibbs saw how close Tony stood in case she needed help. Neither Gibbs nor Tony was against women in law enforcement, but they both wouldn't have let one of their female partners struggle alone. Hell, Ziva was a powerhouse who could hold her own under most circumstances, but they were both too old school to just sit by and allow it. The redheaded cop seemed oblivious to his partner's struggle; either that or he just didn't care.

"Hold up a sec." The officer turned to Gibbs once again expecting an answer to his question. Gibbs felt relief that the guy hadn't sent her off with the drunken man to contend with on her own. The officer has some scruples at least.

Jenny embraced Makayla close to her but answered instead. "I'm her aunt. What's going on?"

Just then the elevator opened and Cynthia came rushing out towards them apologizing profusely, mumbling something about her car breaking down on the highway and having to wait for a tow truck to give her a boost. Jenny waved her to silence.

"Seems this man took a liking to your niece and tried to drag her off for a little-unsolicited entertainment."

Makayla shuddered at the words and Jenny pulled her closer.

The officer looked at Makayla sternly. "You're fortunate, kid, that Agent DiNozzo here came along. Many girls in your position aren't so lucky. Why was she alone, ma'am?"

"I never touched the damned kid!" shouted the man. This time he sounded a lot more sober and aware.

From the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw the female officer lose her grip on the man as he pitched himself forward. The guy then proceeded to swing back around and bash the officer into the wall. Tony immediately jumped to the rescue knocking the man to the ground. He put a knee on the miscreant's back.

"Get off of me, you Neanderthal," the man shouted, followed by a few slurred profanities. Tony remained where he was.

"Shouldn't you help your partner get the perp under control before you start asking us pointless questions?" asked Gibbs, not being able to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Jenny looked at Gibbs. "I'm taking Makayla home. I trust you can handle this for me?"

Gibbs nodded and stepped aside so Jenny could leave.

"Wait one minute here. No one is leaving until I get some statements," said the red-headed officer in indignation.

Gibbs glared at the officer. "You heard the woman. She's taking her niece home. If you've got a problem with that, you can take it up with me."

Jenny didn't hear anything else as she entered the elevator with Makayla and Cynthia in tow.

 _ **So many questions: Who is the guy that attacked Makayla? Will Aimee begin breathing on her own? Stay tuned :)**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. They keep this starving artist going and inspired to write more.**_

 _ **Life is busy as usual ...teaching...kiddos...hubby...cleaning...laundry...OH MY! But, my love for this universe always brings me back. ENJOY!**_

Something soft touched his cheek rousing him enough to open his eyes and as he did, Gibbs blinked several times finding it difficult to awaken. Every fibre of his being ached and he felt like he had hardly even closed his eyes. Two wide-eyed, blue sparkling eyes peered down at him eagerly leaning in and pulling his eyes open with sticky fingers.

"Mr. Gibbs, are you done sleeping yet? Yous snoring so loud that you wakes me up."

Gibbs blinked again and swallowed back his irritation. He brushed away her sticky hands and pulled the little girl into a hug. He could smell maple syrup on her as he pulled her close. It seemed that wee Janessa had been up to some mischief which was nothing unusual for the child. He took a quick glance at his side table, grimacing when he noted the time. He groaned thinking of what little sleep he had managed to get. He'd hoped for at least six hours but had barely managed two. There was no way he was going to be able to face the day on so little sleep. He was already running on empty.

"Where's Papa Jack, Ness?"

The little girl shrugged. "I dunno."

Gibbs forced himself to sit up and reach over to switch on the light. He blinked a few times forcing his eyes to focus, and he looked down at the little girl in his arms.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed sleeping?"

"I gots hungry. I missted you, daddy."

Gibbs smirked and kissed the top of her head lovingly. "I've missed you too, Nessie." Licking his lips, he caught the sweet flavour of maple syrup from her hair. "You taste like maple syrup. What have you've been up to?"

Janessa giggled and wiggled in closer. "I love waffles." She sounded very pleased with herself.

Gibbs' heart took a small leap in his chest, imagining her climbing on the counter and toasting the waffles by herself. As much as he had tried to childproof his house, Janessa always managed to show him another way he had failed in that department.

"I know you love waffles. Did Papa Jack help you?"

She shook her head.

He turned her to face him, so he could look her in the eye. "You're not supposed to use the toaster by yourself, Janessa. You know that!" His voice was sharp. It was then he got a good look at her. Her face and the whole front of her pyjamas were covered in the sticky sweet liquid. It looked like she'd gone to war with the bottle and lost the battle.

Janessa stuck out her bottom lip. "But I didn't, daddy. Honour bright."

Gibbs frowned as he forced himself to get out of bed, swinging the youngster onto his hip and carried her to the bathroom. Once there he kissed her again because he'd missed her and plopped her gently into the tub.

"You need a bath," he stated as the little girl giggled in delight. One thing Janessa loved more than getting into mischief and that was a bubble bath. He tapped her on the nose. "I can't believe how sticky you are." Gibbs pulled off Janessa's gooey nightgown and began to run the water, being careful to check the temperature. "If you didn't have waffles then why do have syrup all over you?" he dared to ask as he helped her sit down in the warm water.

"Can I have bubbles, Mr. Gibbs?"

Gibbs made a face and then laughed. He'd fully anticipated the question and obliged. Janessa was going to grow up spoiled rotten, and it was going to be his fault. He couldn't resist her charms. She was just too darn cute for her own good.

"You know, just because you're cute doesn't mean you can get away with everything, you little monster." Janessa squealed with delight when Gibbs ran a lid full of bubble-gum scented bubble bath under the faucet. As the tub filled, Gibbs sat on the edge and swished the water around so it would warm up evenly. Janessa squirmed around until she was on her tummy, buried in bubbles.

"Where did the syrup come from if you didn't toast your waffles?" he tried again as he pulled her up and used some of the water from the tap to moisten her long blonde hair. Janessa struggled to escape him as he tried to protect her eyes from the water with his large hand.

"Wellllll…" she began, dragging out the word, "I climbed up on the counter and puts the waffles in the toaster then I 'membered…" She paused to scratch her nose.

"That you're not supposed to use it?" he prompted, tapping her bubble covered nose.

"Yuh huh, so I gots down and got the maple syrup out of the fridge. I poured it in a cup. It's really yummy, daddy, but I think it's better on waffles. Do you think frozen waffles taste good, daddy?"

Gibbs bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. Most times having a conversation with the little girl was more amazing than anything else. He reached for the shampoo and poured some into the palm of his hands, scrubbing it into her long locks.

"Probably not. You drank the syrup?" Gibbs' stomach churned at the thought.

She nodded and disappeared under the bubbles. Gibbs attempted to grab her but missed. He looked down at his shirt and realized he was about as soaked as she was. Bathing Janessa when he was half asleep and irritated probably wasn't a good idea, but he hadn't seen a choice considering how sticky she'd been. He yawned in spite of himself. Considering it was 5 am, he was lucky to be able to process a single coherent thought after only a few hours' sleep. He was hoping the warm bath would make Janessa sleepy enough to snuggle back in bed with him for a few hours, but the chances of that were looking glaringly slim.

Janessa popped back up with a big grin on her face. "Boo!" she shouted breaking into a fit of giggles. Gibbs shook his head and chuckled. His irritation was melting away. It was hard to stay angry with her for just being her adorable self. He quickly reached out and grabbed her so he could rinse her hair. She squirmed and protested as he struggled to keep a grip on her slippery, soapy body, but he managed to be somewhat successful. He reached forward and yanked the plug so the water could drain. He ran more warm water to rinse her off and grabbed a towel to wrap her in.

"No, I'm nots done yet, daddy!" she whined loudly in protest.

Gibbs scooped her up inside the plush, warm towel despite her complains and flailing feet and hands. "You can have a longer bath another time, Nessie. It's still early and you need to go back to bed. I need more sleep or my daddy hands are gonna get slap happy and your little backside is going to be my target. You catch my drift?" He cradled her in his arms and looked at her sternly to emphasize his point.

Janessa continued to squirm and protest as Gibbs held her in his arms and carried her back to his bed. She was as naked as a jaybird, but he didn't have the energy to go to her room and find another pair of pyjamas. She wasn't sticky anymore and that was all that mattered to him at this point. He grabbed one of his t-shirts and pulled it over her head.

"It's too big," she whined, trying to pull it off her shoulders.

"You wanna cuddle with me awhile?" he asked as he ignored her protests and pulled off his own wet shirt and sleep pants, pulling on dry ones.

Janessa made a face but gave up on the shirt and jumped on the bed instead. Gibbs reached out and pulled her into his arms, counting to ten to stay calm. He was too tired to want to fight with her and desperately wanted to keep things peaceful. A part of him thought he should be more firm but the sane part of him said it could wait for another day and another fight.

"C'mere, you little stinker. Daddy needs more sleep and so do you. Let's snuggle and I'll tell you a story, okay?"

Gibbs climbed into bed and tucked the little girl under his arm, pulling up the blankets. She smelled like baby shampoo and bubble gum which was a nice change from the sugary sweet maple syrup.

"I nots tired, daddy," she mumbled through a yawn. Gibbs snuggled down deeper, praying that the yawn was a good sign. He had no idea how much syrup she'd managed to consume. He would deal with that later.

"Once upon a time, there was a pretty princess…" he began.

"No, no, daddy…tells the one about the fairies." Janessa squirmed under his arm until she was comfortable and rested her head on his chest. "The one about Thistle Rose."

Gibbs chuckled knowing she meant Briar Rose from Sleeping Beauty. Gibbs felt pretty proud of himself for knowing it seeing as he was sure that he'd just bathed her in his sleep. He remembered Aimee explaining that a briar patch was a thistle patch where bunnies liked to hide from predators. Aimee had told Janessa the story of the Briar Rabbit, and somehow, Janessa managed to mix up the two stories and continued to do so on more than one occasion. His heart ached as he hugged Janessa closer. He wished he had Aimee on his other side. He bit his bottom lip purposefully. He needed to remain positive for now. Hope was all he had and he needed to cling to that until he had a reason not to.

Gibbs settled in, grateful for Janessa's warmth and for his ability to keep things peaceful through his exhaustion. Gibbs' droning voice, the warmth of the bed and the tender moment eventually lulled them both to sleep.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Jenny opened her eyes to the bright sunshine beaming in her room. She groaned as her eyes burned from the lack of sleep. She didn't even know what time she'd finally lost consciousness. She had been so anxious about everything that her mind hadn't let her rest. Makayla refused to say much the night before, and Jenny had tucked her in reluctantly, wishing she knew how they had grown so far apart. Makayla seemed more apt to spill her guts to Jethro than to her. She wouldn't want him to know it, but it did bother her more than she let on. She always wished that she was more nurturing but that seemed like a fleeting thing, always just out of reach, that she could never quite put her finger on.

Jenny pulled on her robe and opened her door to be greeted by silence. She looked back towards her room to see that it was well past 9 am. She'd slept in which normally she would have been horrified about but somehow this time didn't mind. She'd been burning the candle at both ends, and it felt good to sleep in. She didn't even regret not setting her alarm. After the trauma of the night before, she'd had no intention of waking Makayla early or sending her to school. The young girl needed some time to think and talk about what happened to her. She had to be frightened, maybe even more than she realized.

Jenny pulled her robe tighter around her waist and padded in bare feet towards Makayla's bedroom. She frowned when she saw that the door was ajar.

She pushed open the door and peeked in. "Makayla, honey, are you awake?"

She was greeted with silence. Jenny entered the room and went around the corner to see that Makayla's bed was made and looked very much like it hadn't been slept in. She frowned as her pulse picked up. It had been late when they arrived home the night before. Makayla had excused herself right away, and Jenny hadn't wanted to push the young teen to talk. It was enough that Makayla had sought her comfort at the hospital and clung to her for dear life. Jenny thought that maybe it was a start in the right direction, Makayla seeking her rather than pushing her away, but she wasn't as sure now as she stood in the empty room. She hadn't bothered to check in on the girl the night before and now she wished she'd had. Jenny was trembling as she scurried downstairs, calling Makayla's name. No answer greeted her. The girl had vanished.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs pulled his jacket on and grabbed his keys from the dish in the foyer.

"I'm heading to the hospital, Dad," Gibbs called towards the kitchen. "Nessie is playing upstairs with her dollhouse; she shouldn't be any trouble."

Jackson Gibbs came into the living room with a look of concern. "Heard anything, son?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, but I need to see for myself that she's okay."

"Sit down, Jethro and rest awhile. You look plum worn out."

"Dad, I got plenty of sleep…"

Jackson frowned pointing towards the stairs. "With that little monkey in bed with you? You were lucky to get any sleep at all. I can't believe she drank a quarter of a bottle of maple syrup. She must have been bouncing off the walls."

Gibbs chuckled. "Yah, she was wired for sound alright, but she did eventually crash. I installed a gate at the top of the stairs so she can't come down on her own."

Jackson clucked his tongue. "A baby gate for a five-year-old? Jethro, you're too soft on her! I would have smacked her little…"

"Trust me, dad, I know what you would have done, but I didn't have it in me. I was exhausted. It was all I could do to bath her and coax her back to bed without losing my temper."

Jackson softened when he looked closer at his bone-weary son. The old man shuffled the rest of the way across the room towards Gibbs and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "You have to stop doing this to yourself, son. This is in the good Lord's hands. No amount of worrying is going to change a thing."

Gibbs' shoulders drooped as he blinked back the tears forming in his eyes. He didn't know why but having his father so close made him feel even more vulnerable. Something about having his father to lean on seemed to bring out the frightened child in him, a child who wanted nothing more than to crawl into the safety net of his father's lap.

"What…" Gibbs tripped over his words as his throat burned. "What if I lose her, Dad? I don't think I can do it again."

Jackson cupped Gibbs cheek in his rough hand. "You're not alone this time, son. I won't let you fall." He patted Gibbs cheek gently as a stray tear escaped. Gibbs closed his eyes and forced himself to gain control. His father's warm, weathered hand felt comforting on his cheek causing him to lean into it.

Jackson looked at his son, and his heart ached deep inside. He hadn't been there when Shannon and Kelly died. As much as he wanted to be, later on, it had been too little too late. Jackson had allowed hard feelings to control him. He deeply regretted that time of his life. As much as Jethro had been a pain in the ass teenager, the boy never deserved to be abandoned in his biggest time of need. He may have lost his granddaughter, but Jethro had lost his only child and his wife…virtually his entire life. It was amazing the man had managed to pull himself back from the brink and even the successful man he was now. Whatever Jackson had said about his son's stubborn pride and odd bachelor lifestyle, Jethro had managed as well as he could in spite of terrible odds.

"Give her a hug from Papa Jack," mumbled Jackson, feeling a large lump forming in his own throat.

Gibbs cleared his throat, stepping back and nodded. "I should be home later…"

"Try and eat something healthy, son." With those words, Jackson turned to hobble back into the kitchen.

Gibbs took a deep breath and headed to the front door. He found it easier to understand his father's idiosyncrasies since he'd become a father, and even more so since Aimee and Janessa came into his life. Gibbs smirked to himself and opened the door. He gasped in surprise to see Makayla sitting on his front step.

"Mak?"

She turned to look at him, her eyes red from crying. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks and her hands were shaking. "I-I tried to sleep, but I couldn't."

Gibbs sat down beside her and pulled her into a protective embrace. He didn't say anything but just held her close, resting his chin on her auburn hair. He could feel her trembling, and knowing she was trying to come to terms with what had happened to her made his heart ache for her. It had to be frightening.

"I dunno what I did to make him think…" Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands.

"You didn't do anything, Mak."

She shook her head as she fidgeted with her fingers. "Yah, I did. I shouldn't have been such a jerk to Aunt Jenny. It's my fault."

"Does Jenn know where you are?" Gibbs felt her shake her head and he pulled away, forcing her chin up so he could look her in the eye. "How long have you been gone?"

Makayla shrugged. "I dunno." Tears continued to cascade down her cheeks.

"Why didn't you talk to her, kiddo?"

Makayla clenched her fists but remained stubbornly tight-lipped.

"Mak?" Gibbs couldn't help but growl at her feeling like he wasn't going to like where this conversation was headed.

The young girl trembled under his scrutiny. She began to sob again. "I was leaving," she managed to choke out. She stood up as Gibbs watched her and went to pull her backpack out from behind the shrubs. Gibbs sighed in disappointment and frustration. Much to his chagrin, Makayla had definitely decided to jump ship. She dropped it on the ground.

Gibbs forced himself to remain unfazed. "What stopped you?"

Makayla threw her hands up in the air. "You." She looked frustrated.

Gibbs quirked a brow. "Me?"

"Yah, you!" She clenched her fists and glared at him, tears running down her cheeks. Her glare melted away as quickly as it formed, then she blurted, "I was so scared, Agent Gibbs. I thought he was gonna…" she choked back a sob and put her hand over her mouth, shaking her other hand in the air.

"He was gonna what?" prompted Gibbs, knowing she needed to deal with it.

Makayla shook her head, sobbing harder. Her whole body trembled.

Gibbs pulled her into his arms once again. His heart couldn't handle the broken, frightened expression on her face. He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could without smothering her and he kissed the top of her head.

"You're safe, Mak. It doesn't matter what he intended to do because Tony stopped him. He can't hurt you." He put a hand on the back of her head and massaged it. "No one is going to hurt you. You are safe." His voice was soothing and as he held the girl, her tense, trembling body began to relax in his arms. He rubbed her back with one hand as her sobbing quieted and she squirmed a little, letting him know to release her. She looked at him sheepishly.

"You mad?" she said, sucking on her bottom lip, tears still shimmering on her cheeks.

Gibbs brushed some of the tears away with his hand and shook his head. Makayla hiccupped and kept looking at him for some kind of response. He rubbed the back of his neck and scrubbed a hand across his face.

"I'm worried about you but mad? No." Gibbs saw her body relax further. "I don't like that you keep trying to run away from your problems, Mackie. The trouble with running away is that eventually, you have to stop. You can't run forever, and when you do stop, you're gonna find that your problems are still right there. You have to face your difficulties head on and deal with them. That's the only way things get resolved."

Makayla worried her bottom lip as stray tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"I didn't run away, Agent Gibbs."

"I know you didn't. I'm proud of you for that, but technically you did run away from your aunt and that isn't okay. Your Aunt Jenn needs you to talk to her and tell her what you're thinking. She's not a mind-reader…"

Makayla shook her head. "I can't talk to her! Not like I can…"

"Not like you can what?"

She shrugged.

Gibbs reached out and cupped her chin in his hands, tipping it up so she looked at him in the eyes. "Not like you can talk to me?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Why?"

Makayla shrugged again and pulled her chin out of his hand, turning her back to him. "You don't know how she is, Agent Gibbs," Gibbs smirked at her words. Makayla had no idea how wrong she was. Gibbs had every idea how Jenny was. They had a history. Gibbs was very familiar with Jenny's quirks and foibles. He knew her as well as he did himself, possibly even more than she knew herself. "She's not like us…"

"Us?" questioned Gibbs, raising a brow in amusement.

"Well, yah. I mean, you're like down to earth and just like a normal guy…like me, only I'm a girl. I mean I'm just run of the mill. Not fancy or high society. But my Aunt Jenn, well, she grew up all high society and so did my mom, and my dad, well, he is even worse than that. My parents care more about what their friends think than about me or my sister. Aunt Jenny used to care but now all she cares about is what other people think too…"

Gibbs rolled his eyes and grabbed Makayla by the arm, spinning her to face him.

"Mak, I don't know whether I should just pull you over my knee and spank the snobbery out of you or smack you upside the head like I do DiNozzo." His voice was stern but not harsh. He wasn't angry with her, just surprised and disappointed. He'd seen the arrogance before in his hometown, and he'd learned from a very young age that it wasn't a healthy attitude.

Makayla's eyes widened and she tried to pull away. Gibbs held her forearm tightly.

"You're the one who is putting on airs, not your Aunt Jenn. You need to get off your high horse and start treating your Aunt with respect. She loves you! She's trying very hard to be on your side. You need to give her a chance and talk to her."

Makayla's bottom lip trembled.

"Let's go inside and call her. She's probably worried sick about you."

Makayla shook her head and her eyes pleaded with him. She looked every inch the frightened, confused girl she was and Gibbs' heart ached for her. Her parents were overseas and she was on an emotional rollercoaster just being a teenager. Toss in a bossy but well-meaning aunt she didn't know very well, and a cranky old marine gunny that she felt an unexplainable bond with and life had to feel disconcerting.

Gibbs softened and dropped his grip on her. "You're not crazy, Mak. I feel the same connection to you…" Makayla blinked at his words. "Trust me, okay? I think you already do or you wouldn't have sought me out, would you?"

Makayla looked into his warm steel grey-blue eyes and nodded. He couldn't explain it any more than she could but somehow they were drawn to each other.

Gibbs gestured towards the front entrance and waited as the girl contemplated going inside with him. As he took a step towards the door, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, looking at his call display. He held the phone out to Makayla.

"It's Jenn…"

Makayla balked and dropped her chin to her chest.

Gibbs sighed and answered the call. "I've got her, Jenn," he said quickly before she could get a word in. Gibbs heard her strangled sob and felt his heart clench in his chest. It physically hurt him when Jenny hurt. "She's safe." Jenny didn't say anything but he could still hear her sniffling. It wasn't like the opinionated redhead to be so quiet. Jennifer Shepard was strong-willed and pig-headed so to hear her silence was disturbing to him. "Jenn? I will take care of it."

"Just tell her I love her, okay?"

His heart hammered in his chest. She was being so uncharacteristic. "I will." Gibbs eyed Makayla whose face was white.

Jenn choked back another sob. "I can do it anymore, Jethro. I'm calling her parents."

"Jenn, wait, listen to me a second," Gibbs said, knowing that phone call would only make matters worse for Makayla. He covered the mouthpiece and looked at Makayla firmly. "Go inside and get something to eat. My dad's in the kitchen. I'll be in a few minutes." Mak scowled at him, and Gibbs returned the expression, nodding towards the front door. Makayla sighed and relented, walking past him sullenly. Once she entered the house and closed the door behind her, Gibbs resumed the conversation. "Jenn, how is that going to help matters?"

"They're her parents, Jethro. I'm not and neither are you. She could have been assaulted, or possibly even killed by that maniac. Gawd, I would have never forgiven myself had that happened…"

"Not your fault…"

"That's not the point. If she'd been at school or home, it would've never happened."

"Or she could be attacked and raped going to the mall or to school."

"Jethro!" said Jenn, exasperation in her voice.

"Jenny, give me a few days with her, okay? If things don't change then call your sister."

"Don't you have enough on your plate with Aimee and Janessa?" snapped Jenn.

Gibbs winced at her words. "Yah, I do," he muttered, not being able to keep the pain out of his voice. "I can't explain it, Jenn." He couldn't but he felt such a strong connection to the teen girl that he had to try. Every time she ran off or had a problem, she sought him out. That had to mean something and it was better than the first time when she had just blatantly taken off. She'd admitted that it was something about him that stopped her this time. He felt certain it wasn't only because she was afraid of him punishing her. There was more to it than that. Oy he'd like to think so and besides, he'd want someone to try if it was his daughter, if it was Kelly. Maybe he had the power to make a difference in Makayla's young life. Maybe he could get through to her. She was worth it. His gut told him sending her back to her parents to deal with would only exacerbate the problem and possibly create an ongoing or possibly a lifetime one of running away.

Gibbs heard Jenny sigh loudly. "Okay," she relented.

"I'm heading to the hospital to check on Aimee. Mak can tag along with me today."

"Is she okay, Jethro?" Jenny's choice was soft and maternal.

"She's shaken up and angry, but I think she's okay. I'll do my best to get her to open up to you but I can't make any promises. Like aunt like niece. What is it about the women in your family and talking?"

Jenny snorted and laughed loudly. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

Gibbs smirked. He liked hearing her laugh.

"I'm heading to NCIS, but Jethro, Riley gets brought in today. That's an order. "

Gibbs winced. While he hadn't completely forgotten about the young man, he had pushed him far back into his mind. It was official. He had bitten off more than he could possibly chew.


	35. Chapter 35

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Thanks for the reviews! You inspire me!**_

 _ **Special thanks to 90The General09 for his contribution to the military side of things. He helped me write a portion of this chapter, and I'm very grateful. The military aspect is not my specialty but I wanted to make the story as authentic as I can.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Jenny Wrens :)**_

" _Can't do nothing right, can you boy? Good for nothing is all you are. Don't know why your momma thinks you're so special." The drunken man's words were slurred as usual but his aim was always accurate, thanks to his Marine training. The belt cracking down making him cringe and cry out. He tried hard not to cry out, but it hurt too much not too. His father wanted him to act like a man, not a baby, but he couldn't help it. The man continued to berate him and shout obscenities at him, all the while beating him soundly. Riley curled up into a ball to try and protect some part of his body from the blows. Sometimes, if he was lucky he could drift outside of himself to escape the worst of it._

Riley moaned in his sleep.

 _"You're a useless pile of excrement, Janssen." The D.I. looked to the rest of the recruits in disgust. "Remember whose fault it is." The recruits all glared at Riley as they began their run again after already cooling down. Riley felt the D.I shove his head into the doorway as he exited the room. He kept walking without a word as blood gushed from his nose._

Riley's head tossed and turned in his sleep.

 _"Son of a bitch!" shouted the DI, slamming Riley's head into the wall. "I'm going to kill you, Janssen, you hear me?" Riley swallowed hard as the large man wrapped his hand around his throat and began choking him._

Perspiration dampened his hair. "No, stop," he mumbled out loud as he thrashed around in his bed.

 _Riley quickly gulped a breath of air before his head was shoved under the water once more. He fought as hard as he could to get up. He arms and legs flailed and he punched at the person holding him under. He felt himself being pulled up again and he gasped for air, trying to gain his wits about him only to be slammed in the gut and held under again._

Riley sprang up in the bed covered in a cold sweat. His eyes were wide in terror and his reflexes took over as he lashed out at the closest person to him.

"Hey there, Riley, calm down. You're safe, "said a vaguely familiar voice.

Riley turned to see Agent DiNozzo standing over him defensively. His heart was racing in his chest as he tried to make sense of where he was and how he got there.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital at Quantico."

"Why?"

Tony relaxed his shoulders a little and sat back down. Riley was not a threat at that moment; he was too overwhelmed and confused. "You were exhausted, Riley. They sedated you."

Riley leaned back in the bed once again, trying to remember how he'd gotten there and the events that led up to it. His head was clouded with so much garbage that it was hard to discern what reality was.

"Those must be some dreams," commented Tony, looking at the young man sympathetically.

Riley raked a shaky hand through his damp, sticky hair. The dreams were nothing new to him, but he couldn't help wondering how much he'd revealed about himself. He wasn't used to being watched while he slept.

"How's the girl?"

"We don't know yet," said Tony. "You were a big help in getting her out, Riley. Thank you for that. You could have taken off but you didn't. That's a sign of real maturity."

Riley nodded. He didn't recall much of what happened. He just remembered doing everything in his power to keep Aimee safe. He didn't know why he'd felt so drawn to the girl, but he knew he couldn't _not_ help. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself had he just left.

"I can't remember much," he admitted.

Tony smiled at him. "It's okay."

Riley closed his eyes and listened to the sounds in his room; water dripping in the bathroom, machines beeping and ticking, and his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. He never remembered feeling this helpless before. He had no idea what was going to happen to him, and he was too tired to do anything about it. He hadn't been faring well on the streets either but he didn't know where to go from here. He probably could escape but then what? He was at a complete loss.

"So, what now?" asked Riley, turning his head to look at the agent beside him. "Are you here to arrest me?"

Tony shook his head. "No, and to be honest Riley, I don't really know what to tell you. I know about as much as you do right now."

Riley chewed on his lip thoughtfully. He wanted to feel something. He wanted to feel angry or scared or something….but instead, he felt numb and without hope.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs sat in his car in the parking lot at the hospital silently thinking. He glanced in his rearview mirror at the child in his backseat. Makayla was a mystery. She'd stubbornly climbed into the backseat of his car and inserted earbuds. He knew she didn't want to talk to him anymore, and he was okay with her shutting down for a while. Everyone needed some downtime, including him. They hadn't been driving more than a few minutes when he realized that she'd drifted to sleep. The poor kid was exhausted. She never noticed when he put the car in park and shut it off.

He didn't know why he felt so drawn to her or why she was so drawn to him. It was like they were cut from the same cloth which made no sense at all. He was a grouchy, old Marine Gunny turned NSIC agent. He was a simple man, and Makayla came from a family of both intellect and breeding. What could she possibly see in him? Gibbs chuckled to himself. What Jenny saw in him all those years ago begged an answer as well. It was no wonder she'd dumped him. The only woman who seemed to get him was Shannon.

Gibbs felt shaken for a moment when the truth hit him in the face. Shannon! Makayla reminded him of a younger version on Shannon. He'd met Shannon when she was 18 and Makayla seemed very similar, her tenacity and determination not to be put in a box. Shannon had run away from home at 18 to escape her overbearing mother. Shannon never could measure up to her mother's dreams for her. Gibbs was drawn to Makayla's independence and willpower. He envisioned that Makayla would have been exactly like his daughter, Kelly too. Makayla needed to be strengthened and taught to control her passions, not harnessed. Shannon would have never tried to bridle the girl. Jenny was fighting a losing battle trying.

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks as his thoughts turned to Jenny and her command regarding Riley. He knew that she'd been more than generous with the time frame. Jenny was being hounded now, but Gibbs didn't want to bring Riley in. He wanted—no, he needed-to talk to the kid and find out the whole convoluted story. Gibbs' gut told him a lot. McGee's Intel on Riley's childhood was horrid, and it made Gibbs furious. He had no tolerance for child abuse. Riley needed a break. The trouble was Gibbs wasn't sure how he could help. A Marine recruit going UA after assaulting his drill instructor was bad. Really bad. Riley could find himself facing a court martial and jail time.

He knew he had to make a decision concerning the kid, but he didn't know what. He knew that things were complicated; probably more complex than he even knew and what he did know was abysmal. It didn't sit well with Gibbs just turning Riley over to his authorities without some kind of resolution. Riley was a victim more than he was a criminal. Under ordinary circumstances, Gibbs would have handed him over straight away and not been bothered with the specifics. He knew he should have done that right from the get-go, but seeing the kid, looking into his eyes and observing the hurt and exhaustion on his face, Gibbs had just wanted to give the kid a break. He never would have guessed how his decision would start such a crazy snowball of events. He could never have speculated that Makayla and Abby would interfere as they did.

Suddenly, it hit Gibbs. He knew exactly who he should call. It was so simple; he could hardly believe he hadn't thought it earlier. Captain Joshua Marshall was just the man he needed.

XxXxNCISxXxX

During Operation Desert Storm, Gibbs' 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines had been attached to Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marines for one component of the multi-pronged assault on Kuwait International Airport, which Saddam Hussein's 3rd Armored Division had occupied and turned into a base. Just after breaching a minefield blocking their approach, Bravo had come under fire from an Iraqi Army force ten times their size. Captain Joshua Marshall, Bravo's commander, had been knocked unconscious when his tank was fired on. His gunner had been struggling to open a hatch to get him and the badly injured loader out when Gibbs had climbed on top of the burning tank, climbed in and gotten all three of the turret crewman out, one by one. The driver was shot while bailing out, so Gibbs rushed to move him to cover and was shot himself.

Gibbs never knew the Marines won the battle until nearly a month later. His injuries left him comatose for nineteen days. Josh Marshall had pinned a Silver Star and Purple Heart to his hospital gown while he was out, and left a note, calling Gibbs _"the bravest man I've ever known."_ Since that day, he and Josh Marshall had kept in touch with each other. It hadn't been easy considering Marshall stayed in the Corps and Gibbs signed on with NSIC, but somehow they managed. It was hard to forget somebody who'd been there when you stared death in the face. Gibbs, through various friends and contacts, kept track of Captain Marshall, who then became Brigadier General Marshall. The command he currently held couldn't have been more convenient for what Gibbs needed. He pulled out his cell and dialled the main number for the Commanding General's office, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Josh Marshall looked up briefly from the stack of papers he was working through, glancing at the clock on his wall. As the Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, he had thousands of things to do each day. Even though his day typically started at 0400 and he spent as much as twelve to thirteen hours at work Monday to Friday, it often seemed like ten of him wouldn't be enough to stay on top of everything.

Even with the staff he had allocated to him as a 1-star general, the situation remained the same: there just weren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. But then, you couldn't command an 8000-acre military installation and expect things to be simple or easy, and it certainly didn't help when you had a recruit assault a drill instructor during a Crucible and go on Unauthorized Absence from the base. It had been over a month, and still, nobody knew here Riley Janssen was. That the kid had assaulted Gunnery Sergeant Adams and taken off from his platoon was more than a little disconcerting. Adams was a damned good drill instructor—one of the best, in fact—and he'd been decorated in 2005 for the extremely high quality of the Marines he made out of recruits. In the pursuit of victory in the War on Terror, the Marines needed men like Adams…even if scuttlebutt said he sometimes went to extremes doing his job.

The thing was, nobody ever actually reported or officially complained about Adams in any way, so Marshall let the scuttlebutt alone. But now, with a man missing and even Adams having a difficult time explaining why the guy—no more than a kid really—had assaulted him before he vanished, it left Marshall wondering.

Someone knocked on the solid oak door to Marshall's office. Like the panelling on the walls, it was polished so it shone like a mirror. "Enter!" Marshall called.

Captain Jake Ellis, Marshall's aide, stepped into the room, looking like a living recruiting poster as always. He'd ranked third in his class at Remington Military Academy, ditto at Harvard. 'Dependable' was an understatement.

"NCIS on the phone for you, sir," Ellis said.

"What for?" asked Marshall.

"Special Agent Gibbs just said it's a matter of importance, sir."

"Put him through."

"Yes, sir." Ellis pulled the door shut and returned to his own desk. Marshall could just hear him say, "Thank you for waiting, sir. I'm transferring you now."

The phone to Marshall's right rang just a moment later and within two rings the general snatched it up. "Marshall," he said. He never bothered to say anything else. Not one word or second was to be wasted.

"I have your missing recruit," Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs said right away. That was classic Gibbs, all right. He wasn't a man to waste time either.  
"Hold him," Marshall answered immediately. "Military police will come to take care of him inside of twenty-four hours."  
"It's not that simple, General."

"And why's that, Gunny?"

"Riley Janssen's not a deserter. He's got reason for going UA."  
"It had better be good."

"You know of Gunnery Sergeant James Adams?"

"I do."

"He's the reason."

"One of the best DI's I've got on this sandbar is the reason?" Marshall retorted.

"You need to pull him off those recruits, General. He's gone too far for too long and it needs to stop."  
"I'll tell _you_ what's gonna stop!" Marshall roared, pounding his desk. "I'm gonna have this friggin' deserter _nailed to my office door!_ If you think I'm gonna take the word of some kid who just doesn't pack the gear over-"

"General, hold your fire. You need to hear me out on this."

"And why should I do that?" Marshall demanded, still breathing hard, fighting to get himself under control. He wasn't given to such outbursts and that he had let one go this fast told him he was more stressed or tired than he realized, or both.  
"Kuwait International. I'm calling in a favour."

Marshall sighed, putting his hands over his eyes. "All right, Gunny," he said finally, his voice strained. "Let me hear it."

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs told the story as he'd put together-mostly from the tidbits Riley had let slip in conversation. He still planned to get more; he knew there was more. Gibbs started with the necessary background on Riley's abusive father that McGee had uncovered, and the effect that it had on Riley's behaviour. Then he went through the process that led Riley to enlist, and everything Riley had said about what recruit training had been like once he got there. Gunnery Sergeant Adams singling him out, the cruelty he'd subjected Riley to and how he'd imagined it came to a head with the recruit assaulting Adam's during the Crucible, then going UA.

The boss of MCRD Parris Island listened with some skepticism at first; Gibbs thought he heard the man scoff once or twice, but that was all. Being someone who remained calm in the face of practically anything, Gibbs just kept telling Marshall what he knew of Adams and what he'd been doing down there at Parris Island for a while. Riley's story wasn't the only one he'd heard. There had been plenty more. Some of it must have hit home because the general swore a few times. By the end, he fell silent.

Gibbs didn't need to press for a reply when Marshall remained silent at first. He simply waited, glancing at Makayla sleeping soundly in the back seat. He was grateful she'd remained sleeping. He hadn't wanted her to hear some of the things he had said regarding Riley.

"Gibbs." Marshall's voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

"Yes?"

"You're asking me to start an investigation into one of my best Senior DI's. This thing could get out of control fast. Or, I could be about to throw away a damned good DI's career for nothing. We're fighting a war on the other side of the world, and I need men with Adam's drive to make the Marines that're gonna win it. So, I'll ask you…what's your gut tell you, Gunny? You believe this kid?"

"Yes, I do." Gibbs said it without a second's hesitation.

Marshall sighed. "Alright. I'll make some calls. Tell that kid, Janssen, that Anvil Actual is on it."

Gibbs heaved a sigh as his phone went dead. He'd just released a hornet's nest and there was no telling what was going to happen now.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Happy New Year!**_

 _ **I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday.**_

 _ **I was very busy but found some time to write and thought I'd post an update.**_

 _ **Hopefully, I still have a few readers left who are following this story.**_

 _ **Many blessings,**_

 _ **Jenny :)**_

"Who were you talking too?"

Makayla's soft voice startled him back to the present. He glanced in the rear-view mirror at her. She looked much more rested and less combative. He was glad to see it because he still wanted to have a discussion with her.

"How much did you hear?" he asked, not unkindly.

She shrugged.

"Climb up to the front seat. You and I need to finish our earlier discussion. Hopefully, some sleep has put you in better humour."

Makayla's eyes widened a little but she obeyed him, stepping carefully over the back of the seat and hugged the door.

"Why are you acting so shy with me now?" he asked with a smirk playing on his lips. He found it interesting that she was acting guilty without even knowing what he wanted to talk to her about.

"I'm not," she said, straightening up and glaring at him. "I don't really care what you think."

Gibbs lifted an amused brow. "Mak, why wouldn't you talk to Jenn? She's worried about you."

Makayla rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

"Now, you see, playing dumb isn't going to bode well for you." Gibbs reached out to playfully mess up her hair, but she pulled away and scowled at him. He dropped his hand to his side and looked out the front windshield. He debated a few moments before turning to her again.

"We can handle this one of two ways, Mak. We can drop the subject for now and give you some time to think. It's a pretty fair guess that you're tired and need some time to think things through. I don't have a problem with that."

"What's the other way?" asked Mak.

Gibbs' face darkened. "Well, another part of me thinks that giving you time to think isn't going to change anything. I feel like skipping the wait and heading straight to the consequences might be the best idea since we've already been down runaway road."

Makayla's face visibly paled at his words.

Gibbs saw her reaction and kept his poker face, leaving the next few minutes in her court. He had enough on his plate figuring out how to handle things with Riley without having to worry about Makayla taking off again.

"I didn't run away!" she said loudly, exasperation in her voice.

"You left your aunt's home without telling her where you were going. She had no idea where you went, so yeah, that does count as running away."

Mak crossed her arms. "I thought you would understand, Agent Gibbs. Why are you being such a jerk about this?"

Gibbs softened and leaned back against the window in the car. "I'm doing my best to help. Mak. You know that connection you feel between us? Well, I feel it too. I don't know why but it's there. Abby says it has to do with being kindred spirits, whatever that means. The point is I care about what happens to you, and I want you to be happy. If you keep up this attitude of yours, your aunt is going to call your parents. Is that what you want to happen?"

Mak visibly paled and shook her head. "No."

"Well, then what do you want?"

"I don't know!" she shouted at him suddenly angry.

"Hey, that's enough!" said Gibbs firmly, reaching out and capturing her chin in his hand. "I'm not shouting at you. Don't shout at me."

Makayla's eyes filled with tears and she attempted to pull away from him but he held fast to her chin. She blinked hard to keep her tears from betraying her.

Gibbs stared at her sternly, "I think we should just skip to the consequences." He was finished trying to reason with her today. He couldn't stay out in the car arguing with a 14-year-old when he needed to check on Aimee and do his job concerning Riley.

Makayla's bottom lip trembled as she dared to look directly into Gibbs steely blue eyes. "Please, Agent Gibbs…"

"We could do this dance all day, Mak and frankly, I'm sick of it. I've tried to reason with you and so has your Aunt Jenn. She was very upset when I spoke with her. I can't tell you how disappointed that makes me." He softened a little when he saw her frightened face. "I know you're upset about what happened. It had to be frightening, but don't push your aunt away. She can help if you let her."

Mak tried to pull away again but Gibbs didn't release her chin. He looked deeply into her green eyes, trying to reach past her defences. Makayla closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them.

"I hate her!" Makayla shoved him away, beating at his chest with her fists and turned to open the door. Gibbs quick reflexes allowed him to lock the door before she could escape.

Gibbs' eyes darkened dangerously as he leaned in closer to her. He'd had enough. He was a compassionate person when it came to kids. He knew life dealt some pretty crappy hands but as far as Makayla was concerned, he didn't think her hand was so bad. He'd reached the end of his diplomacy. Gibbs reached out and grabbed Makayla by the arm to pull her closer to him.

Makayla began to panic. "No, please, Agent Gibbs. I'm sorry. I won't run off again and I'll call Aunt Jenny and apologize. Please... don't spank me again, okay?"

Gibbs blinked. The thought of spanking her hadn't crossed his mind at all. When he was thinking consequences, he was more thinking about having her stay close to him. He didn't want to deal with anymore running away. He had reached his quota of it. Keeping Mak close meant he could keep an eye on her so that she wouldn't have the chance to take off again. He released his tight grip on her arm and watched as she shrank away from him, apprehension written all over her face.

"Mackie, relax, sweetie, I'm not going to spank you. I spanked you last time because you took off and planned to go to New York by yourself. That was dangerous and you needed to understand that. This is different. You came to me on your own."

Makayla sighed in relief and some of the colour returned to her face. She slid closer to him and leaned against him. Gibbs pulled her into a hug.

"That spanking really made an impression on you, didn't it?"

Makayla nodded. She brought her hands in close, tucking them under her chin, and shivering a little. Gibbs wrapped his arms tighter around her and planted a kiss on top of her head.

"I don't want you to be afraid of me, Mak," began Gibbs.

"I'm not," she whispered quietly, "it's just when you said consequences, I got a little worried. You can be a little slap happy sometimes."

Gibbs smirked. "With DiNozzo, maybe, but he knows it's because I love him and sometimes he says stupid things. A slap to the head is a wakeup call to stop whatever dumb thing you're doing and be serious." Gibbs reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He held it out in front of Makayla's face. "Call Jenn and talk to her, Mak."

Makayla sat up and took the phone. "Okay."

Gibbs smiled and stepped out of the car. "I'm going to check on Riley and Aimee. Come in when you're finished, okay?"

Makayla nodded, fingering the phone. Gibbs went to close the door when he heard Makayla say his name again. He leaned over and peeked into the car.

"Thanks for not…" She hesitated a moment and then said, "Well, just thanks."

Gibbs nodded, smiling at her and headed towards to hospital entrance.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs entered the room silently with no one noticing as usual. It seemed to be a talent of his, although he had no idea how he did any more than anyone else. It wasn't something he purposely intended to do, it was just a gift. Tony seemed to be in his own world, browsing his phone while Riley seemed to be staring out the window. The room felt tense and Gibbs wondered why there was tension.

"DiNozzo, could you go sit in the car with Mak. I left her alone to call Jenny."

Tony's head popped up startled as usual. Gibbs always seemed to startle one or all of his team on a daily basis. Tony looked at him inquisitively.

"I want to make sure she doesn't take off again." Gibbs looked to Riley and nodded. "How are you feeling, son?"

Riley cleared his throat. "I've been better, sir." Gibbs nodded again in understanding. He was pretty positive that was an accurate assessment. Riley was in a lot of trouble and Gibbs was certain the kid knew as well as he did.

Tony nodded and stood up. "I need a word with you, Boss."

Gibbs nodded, briefly looking at Riley before following Tony out into the hallway. Once outside the door, the two of them wandered down the hallway until they came to a nearby waiting area. The men sat down and Gibbs spoke first.

"I don't want to leave Mak alone very long…"

Tony nodded in acknowledgement. "Listen, Boss, Riley is plagued by some nasty nightmares. He was shouting and profusely sweating when he woke up."

Gibbs took a deep thoughtful breath before speaking. "I wish I knew what was going on in his head. I've read his file but things don't add up and time is up. I can't stall things any longer. He has to be taken into custody today."

"Sometimes I hate the rules. Riley's a good kid. He's not like some whacked teens we've dealt with in the past. He's different.

Gibbs nodded, feeling the same way. Riley could have taken off at any time but he didn't. It was obvious to Gibbs that he didn't want to run. He wanted someone to help but he didn't know how to ask. Gibbs hoped that his earlier conversation with Marshall would pan out. If anyone understood how tough it was to be a kid and alone, Marshall did.

"Need any help bringing him in?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, I've got it. Keep an eye on Mak, Tony; she's in rough shape. I wouldn't put it past her to bolt again."

Tony pinched his nose thoughtfully. "Again?"

"She took off from Jenn…"

"Damn. I thought you cured her of that."

"Yah, I thought so too."

"You've got your work cut out for you with her, don't you?"

Gibbs brows met his hairline as he painfully rolled his eyes in acknowledgement which made Tony chuckle softly. The younger man reached out and patted Gibbs' shoulder in sympathy.

"You're good with kids, Gibbs. You've got this."

Gibbs sighed. "I'd give anything for a strong glass of bourbon about now."

"And a fireside steak, I'm sure."

Gibbs groaned in response.

"Good luck with Riley," said Tony, walking away and disappearing down the corridor.

Gibbs watched Tony walk away while organizing his thoughts. He didn't know where he needed to start with Riley. He just hoped the kid would be willing to talk with him and tell him the truth. It was the only way Gibbs could help him.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Aimee's eyes flew open and she panicked. She grabbed at her throat and started to claw at it. She was being suffocated.

"Aimee." A stranger stuck his head in her face and pinned her arms back. "It's okay, honey. There's a tube down your throat to help you breathe. Just breathe deeply and relax, okay?"

Hot tears streamed down her face and into her ears. Where was she? Where was Gibbs? The tube wasn't helping her breathe at all. It was strangling her. She struggled to free her hands but couldn't. She flung her head back and forth. Flashes of people scurrying around the room caught her vision but everything was a blur. She kicked her feet as hard as she could and then someone stopped her from doing that as well.

"Aimee, try to stay still. Relax, sweetie, you're okay. You're in the hospital, remember? Blink your eyes for me," said the dark-haired stranger. He continued to pin her arms to her side. Aimee fought him as hard as she could. If she could just get her hands free.

"Okay, Aimee, try to stay still. Jada, help me," he said again.

Aimee tossed her head back and forth as the kind face of a young woman peered down at her. Aimee felt warm hands on either side of her face preventing her from moving it. She blinked hard trying to clear her vision. She was pinned down and choking to death. She was going to die.

Her frightened eyes were open wide as the strange man leaned in and pulled at the tube down her throat. If she could have screamed at that moment she would have. She felt the tube being dragged up her throat slowly and she also felt vomit following behind it.

"Stay still, sweetie, it's almost out, okay?" crooned the man softly as he continued to pull out the tube. Not soon enough, the tube was pulled free and the doctor moved back a little, freeing her arms. She bolted up into a sitting position and projectile vomited all over him.

The strange man looked startled a minute but quickly gained his senses. He grabbed something and put it in front of her mouth and Aimee continued vomiting and crying. Tears burned her eyes as the vomit burned her throat.

"It's okay, Aimee. You're fine, sweetie. You're safe. That's right, let it all up now."

Aimee coughed and sputtered as both the lady and the man stared at her. After a few minutes, the nausea let up and she fell back onto the bed. The woman quickly caught her head and placed a soft pillow under it.

"I'm Dr. Abrams, Aimee, one of the doctors who's been keeping an eye on you. This is Nurse Katie. Are you okay now or do you still feel like you're gonna be sick."

Aimee balled up his fists and struggled to catch her breath through her tears. The nurse placed an oxygen mask over her face and Aimee's eyes widened again. The mask made her feel like she was being smothered and she reached up and ripped it from her face.

"Katie, it's okay; give her a minute to catch her breath." The doctor continued to look her over. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Aimee," she croaked. Her throat ached. The nurse held a cold cloth to her face and attempted to clean the vomit from her face. The doctor pulled the blanket off of her and tossed it into a nearby bin. Aimee shivered from the change in temperature as the doctor replaced the blanket.

"Good, good. Now, tell me how old you are?"

Tears continued to roll down her cheeks. Where was Gibbs? Did he abandon her? She shivered again. She attempted to sit up again but the doctor held her down.

"Aimee, don't try to move, honey. You had a very serious operation and you need some time to recover."

"Daddy," she cried. Her entire body trembled as she sobbed. Where was Gibbs? Did everyone leave her?

The doctor looked at the nurse. "Find her father."

The nurse nodded and disappeared from the room quickly.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley pulled on his filthy dirty pants and grimaced at the stench. He didn't remember the last time he'd worn clean clothes. The hospital gown was airy but it had been clean. He never thought he'd appreciate such a simple thing as clean clothes. He'd managed to wash his socks and boxers in the sink in the bathroom. He'd put them on damp but at least they were clean; they felt a hell of a lot better than before despite washing them with foamy hand soap. He did up the button on his jeans, noticing how much weight he'd lost. He wasn't a big person to begin with and at this rate, he'd waste away to nothing. Not that it mattered now. Most of his hopes and dreams faded a long time ago. He wasn't sure who he was trying to fool anymore. Going to jail wasn't looking as bad when he thought about getting three squares meals and clean clothes.

He heard the door to his room swing open and he shivered in anticipation. He knew it was Agent Gibbs back to take him in. The man had pissed around enough. Riley appreciated the man's compassion even though a large part of him still didn't trust him. Riley looked at himself in the mirror of the bathroom. Heavy leaden eyes stared back at him, eyes so dark and haunted that he shivered in spite of himself. His English teacher had once said that eyes were the windows to the soul. His soul was shattered and had been ever since his older brother died. He missed his brother. A long time ago, life hadn't been so bad. His brother watched out for him, his dad wasn't a drunken fool and his mother had smiled. But that all changed, and he'd never get it back. There was no use pinning for the past. He knew it was time. Agent Gibbs would haul him in and he'd face charges for going UA. He wasn't going to fight it. No one was going to believe him over his drill sergeant. He didn't regret helping Aimee though. Maybe he was no good piece of scum but he'd never regret saving the little girl.

"You look like hell, kid."

Riley's mouth went dry. The voice was painfully familiar.

"How…where…" he stammered as he turned to eye the man in the doorway of the hospital bathroom.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't find you? The hospital called your mom when you were admitted. They have a policy to call next of kin."

Riley felt the colour drain from his face. He grabbed onto the sink for support. Everything he'd done since he left home was to cover his tracks. Policy or not, he had no idea how anyone could have known who his next of kin were. Hell, even the Marines didn't know because he'd chosen to not divulge any information about himself.

"You can go straight back to hell where you came from!" Riley shouted, gaining some courage from the deep-seated motions of hatred that had built up in him over the time he'd been gone.

The large, burly man stepped closer until he was exhaling the same air as Riley. "Watch your mouth, boy or I'll skin you right here. It's a lot closer to the morgue this way, damn fool kid."

Riley gulped. His heart was racing as he stared at the man who'd spent half his life torturing him.

"You think you can get away from me? You're still a kid." He poked Riley in the chest hard enough to make him grimace from pain. "They're gonna send you right back to me. You know that, don't you? Like I want you anyway! Your mother sure doesn't want you, that's for damned sure."

Tears burned in the back of Riley's eyes. He was afraid to move.

The man stepped closer and grabbed Riley by the scruff of the neck. "How far did you think you could get by riding a lie, boy? Look at you! You look like something I dragged in on the bottom of my boots. How long did you think you could hide from me anyway? You think that agent guy gives a flying leap about you? Hell, he's gonna make sure you go to jail. You're lucky I came to tell the truth about you! I oughta just let you drown in your own shit so you'd know just how bad life can be. You have no idea!" The man raised his hand and Riley cowered as it came down heavy across his face.

"Stop it!" Riley screamed as the man held him and smacked him again.

"Shut-up! Do you know how much it cost me to come here and bail your ass out? I'm gonna take it out of your friggen hide."

Riley felt several more blows to his head before his father let him go. He stumbled a little and fell backward onto the toilet seat. Riley sat up some and wiped the back of his mouth. He recognized the bitter taste of metallic in his mouth; it was a familiar flavour.

"Get up! Let's get out of here before they come for you."

Riley blinked back the tears blurring his vision. He felt totally defeated. There wasn't any point in even trying to get away. His father would always find him. He should have known that in the first place. Stumbled a little, he stood to his feet as his father grabbed him by the scruff of the neck roughly and shoved him out of the small washroom landing a hard kick on his backside. Riley lurched forward, stumbling further until he hit the floor again. Shakily he rose to his feet once more, holding up his hands up in front of his face to protect himself from any more blows that might have come his way. None did.

When he looked at his father again, the man was frozen staring at the doorway. Riley followed his line of sight to see Agent Gibbs holding his weapon aimed right at his father's head.

"Go ahead," said Gibbs, his voice dangerous. "I dare you to hit him again."

Riley swallowed hard, his whole body trembling. He wanted to say something but he couldn't. Instead, he sunk to his knees, curled up in a ball and hid his head.


	37. Chapter 37

**Hi Everyone!**

 **Thanks for all your lovely reviews!**

 **I know my updates have been sporadic at best...sorry about that. I promise I am still plugging away at the story.**

 **I had a bit of writer's block and mix that with kids being sick, snow days and my normal busy household, I'm surprised I accomplished anything at all. We are on day two of freezing cold weather in Ontario -36 this morning not including windchill. I'm not made for winter! *pout***

Gibbs took several more steps into the room; his stocky, dirty-blond target wisely took several steps backward. Despite his obvious self-preservation, the man was brazen enough to stand facing Gibbs without having the good sense to raise his hands in defence or acquiesce. Gibbs glared daggers as he kept his gun carefully trained with deadly accuracy, risking only a brief glance at the trembling form on the floor. Compassion filled Gibbs when he saw tremors ripple through Riley. The kid was suffering, and Gibbs prayed Riley would hang on a few minutes longer. He'd only heard some of the exchange between Riley and his father before drawing his revolver, but it had been enough. Gibbs had developed a thick skin through the years; he'd learned to stomach a lot of horrific things. He'd seen the most despicable, abhorrent crimes, but he had a tough time swallowing the deliberate violence against women or children. Gibbs knew Riley wasn't exactly a child anymore, but there was a definite vulnerability about the teenager. Gibbs couldn't quite put his finger on why it impacted him so much.

Gibbs continued walking forward, forcing the man to step further away from Riley. Gibbs took a step around the trembling teenager, hoping someone would have the presence of mind to drag him from the room. Gibbs had the situation well in hand. Roy Janssen wasn't going anywhere until Gibbs was finished with him. And if the imbecile gave him a reason to blow his head off, all the better; one less son of a bitch for the world to deal with.

"Turn around and put your hands on your head," ordered Gibbs, impressed he sounded nonchalant given how he felt deep down.

The man slowly turned around. "You're making a big mistake."

Gibbs reached into his pocket and pulled out his cuffs. He wrenched the man's arms down and behind his back, clasping the cuffs in place.

Leaning in close, Gibbs said, "That's the last time you lay a finger on Riley, Janssen."

The man threw his head back and laughed an insane, guttural laugh as Gibbs manoeuvered him towards the exit. Gibbs looked to see Riley covering his ears with his hands. A group of anxious overseers stood outside the door with jaws agape; no one dared to move or say a word, all transfixed by Janssen's eerie laugh.

"Help the kid!" he ordered at anyone who would take charge.

A large male nurse came quickly into the room and knelt down by Riley's side, speaking words so softly that Gibbs couldn't hear.

As Gibbs began to escort the man from the room, Janssen made an attempt to kick at Riley with his boot. Gibbs yanked him back towards himself roughly, trying his damnedest to stay calm.

"Haven't you done enough?" he groused, shoving the man forward towards the door.

"Not even close," Roy mumbled. "He's not worth the skin he's in."

Gibbs called for backup and began reading the man his Miranda rights. Concentrating on the words helped Gibbs remained focussed and in control.

"You have the right to remain silent…"

The burly man continued to interrupt and rant about Riley's worthlessness as Gibbs spoke. When Gibbs entered the lobby way, he immediately made eye contact with a nurse he recognized from Aimee's care unit. Her face was a jumble of emotions, but he thought he saw something hopeful too. Gibbs felt his heart pick up speed in his chest. Was Aimee awake?

Sometimes fate had a way of providing lousy timing.

"If you cannot afford an attorney…" he continued as he shoved Riley's father further down the lobby.

Gibbs turned a deaf ear to everything the guy was bellowing at him.

Gibbs' mind was whirling in numerous directions, worrying about Riley's mental state and his daughter's current situation. Riley was in no condition to be brought into custody. The kid was a mess and definitely suffering from some PTSD and who knew what else. Jenn wasn't going to be pleased and neither was SecNav; but surprisingly, Gibbs felt relief. He wanted more time to speak with the teenager and ascertain what happened during the Crucible and before. There was a story to be told, and Riley needed to tell it. Screw Gunnery Sergeant James Adams and Mitchell too, if he took the D.I.'s side. This wasn't the first time Gibbs had heard about vulnerable recruits being abused and taken advantage of while in basic training. Hell, if the truth was known, he'd seen it himself a time or two when he was a Marines. The difference now was he wasn't young and impressionable anymore. Now, he didn't care about keeping the status quo. Gibbs did what he thought was right despite the circumstances and to hell with the consequences.

"Gibbs!" said a voice ahead of him.

Gibbs looked up to see Tony coming in his direction. Tony's face looked visibly pallor as he came into view, making Gibbs involuntarily shudder. Makayla wasn't with him which immediately worried Gibbs. Could she have taken off again?

Gibbs shoved Janssen towards Tony who caught the man by the arm. "What the hell?" Tony said, looking baffled. "Boss, this is the same creep that attacked Makayla."

Gibbs had to force himself to remain calm. "What?"

"This is the same guy the LEOS took in the other night."

Janssen didn't say anything but he struggled to get free from Tony's tight grasp on his forearm.

Gibbs felt his pulse beating a tango at his temples. He'd been so focussed on Makayla that night that he hadn't paid any attention to the perp. He would have never guessed Janssen was Mak's attacker. Ray Janssen was never going to see the light of day when he was finished with him.

Just as Gibbs managed to talk himself out of tearing Janssen apart, Makayla came around the corner. Her face paled and her small frame began to tremble when she saw the man Tony was holding. "W-what's he doing here?" she stammered, dumbfounded.

"I've got him, Mackie. Don't worry," assured Tony shoving Janssen forward to block him from her view.

"Well, lookie there," crooned Janssen, struggling to get his eyes on Makayla again.

Makayla shivered as her panicked eyes looked from Tony to Janssen and then to Gibbs.

Time seemed to stop for several moments as Gibbs absorbed the situation. His emotional pendulum swung from panic at the thought of Makayla being missing again to happiness at seeing her in front of him to repulsion at the thought of Janssen touching her. He rushed to Makayla's side and embraced her tightly. A quick nod of his head had Tony dragging Janssen out of the building leaving the young teen girl trembled in his arms as he hugged her. He waited several moments before stooping to her level.

"He came for Riley, Mak."

Makayla's frightened, panicked eyes widened. "Riley?"

Gibbs nodded. "He's Riley's father."

Makayla's bottom lip trembled as she seemed to absorb in the information. Gibbs caressed her cheek lovingly and captured a tear tracing a path down her cheek with his thumb.

"Did he hurt, Riley?" Makayla managed to whisper.

Gibbs straightened and drew the girl into an embrace. "He can't hurt anyone anymore, Mackie."

He kissed the top of her head. Gibbs knew his answer wasn't what Makayla wanted to hear. He shuddered when the girl dissolved into sobs. Gibbs stroked her long auburn hair silently. He had no words to make it better.

"Agent Gibbs, sir," said a soft voice.

Gibbs turned to see the young nurse he had seen before. His mind hadn't forgotten her. Her face still held that hopeful expression, despite her fright. He tried to offer her a reassuring smile to help calm her.

"Your daughter is awake and asking for you."

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs entered Aimee's room quietly with Makayla at his side. He nodded his head towards an empty chair by the window and Makayla obediently went to sit in it with wide, frightened eyes.

"Daddy!" Aimee shouted and she attempted to sit up but was held back by the nurse and Dr. Abrams.

Gibbs made brief eye contact with the doctor before rushing to keep Aimee from injuring herself to get to him. He sat on the side of her bed and drew her carefully into his arms.

"Hey there, Aims, you're awake!" He pressed a gentle kiss on the side of her head, noting the incision in her skull.

"Daddy," she sobbed, gripping his dress jacket for all she was worth.

Gibbs' rocked her and kissed her again, quietly hushing her cries. She felt so good in his arms. He could feel her rapidly beating pulse against his arm. The little girl's lips were cracked and bleeding and the tears that ran down her face made her wince as they entered her mouth.

. "Aimee, try and calm down," encouraged Dr. Abrams. He rubbed her cold hand with his finger gently. A nurse on the other side attempted to treat her dry lips and wipe her face. Aimee struggled to escape to no avail.

"Give her another mg of Midazolam," the doctor said softly to the nurse.

"Yes, doctor."

"What's that?" asked Gibbs as he watched the nurse insert a needle into Aimee's IV.

"Take some deep breaths with me, Aimee," the doctor encouraged, over exaggerating breathing in and out. "What's her BP?" Then to Gibbs, he said, "It's a sedative to calm her down."

The nurse walked around the bed to look at the monitors. "Elevated."

Aimee's flung her head back and forth and flailed her arms. Dr. Abrams gently took her hands in his and held them still. Gibbs quickly followed suit, his heart racing in his chest.

"D-daddy," she hiccupped hoarsely, having a hard time catching her breath between sobs.

"Hey, sweetheart, daddy's here. Try and relax."

A nurse attempted to cover her mouth with an oxygen mask once again; but Aimee grabbed it, yanking away from her face.

"What's going on?" asked Gibbs. "Why is she freaking out like this?" Aimee wasn't responding to him and seemed to continue to fight for several moments longer before becoming still. Gibbs looked down at his little girl to see her eyes roll back into her head. He gasped in dismay as Aimee became dead weight in his arms.

"She's fine, Agent Gibbs," reassured Dr. Abrams. "I needed to sedate her because we couldn't calm her down and her BP was elevated. Waking up intubated and not knowing anyone frightened her into a panic attack. It's common with children."

Gibbs brushed a hand over Aimee's tattered hair, her forehead peppered with moisture. Her face was so pale, it was almost translucent.

"Is she gonna be okay?" whispered Makayla from her place by the window.

Dr. Abrams turned and smiled. "She's going to be just fine, young lady. Don't you worry."

"I should have been here," mumbled Gibbs, tears burning his eyes. He looked down at Aimee's fine features and swallowed a lump in his throat.

Dr. Abrams put a hand on Gibbs' shoulder kindly. "You've been dealing with a lot, Agent Gibbs. It's understandable. Aimee should rest peacefully for about twenty minutes and wake up much more relaxed. Chances are she won't remember anything that just happened."

Gibbs nodded. "How's she doing?"

"I can't be positive without doing more tests, but she seems to be doing excellent. Her cognitive functions are normal, her vitals are good, BP is elevated, but I'm sure that will rectify itself in time. Frankly speaking, Aimee is a medical miracle. I'm well and truly baffled, Agent Gibbs. The chip should have damaged her frontal cortex, but I couldn't find any injury. I was able to get in and get it out without any issues. The chip is not damaged either in case you wondered."

Gibbs ran a shaky hand through his silver hair. The chip had invaluable information on it, evidence that could put a stop to human trafficking for a very long time. But Gibbs wasn't naive. It would always exist as long as despicable human beings existed.

"Thank you."

From the corner of the room, Gibbs heard Makayla choke back a sob. "Aw, Mackie," he said softly. The teen girl's shoulders shook as she hid her face in her hands. He carefully settled Aimee on her bed and went to collect Makayla into his arms.

"Is she alright?" asked Dr, Abrams, looking concerned.

Gibbs held the girl to his chest, caressing her hair gently. He rested his cheek on the top of her head trying to think of an answer. Everyone was exhausted, Gibbs most of all, but were they alright? He wasn't sure he had an answer to the question. He looked up at the doctor with tears in his eyes and merely nodded. It would have to be enough.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs held fast to Janessa's small hand as they walked into the hospital. The little girl skipped by his side, happily chattering away. Gibbs smiled down at her and chuckled out loud. It had been several days since Aimee had awakened, and it was the first time Janessa would be able to see her. Gibbs could tell his father was relieved to have some alone time. While Janessa wasn't a difficult child, she was definitely precocious and that usually meant Jackson needed to be one step ahead of her most of the time. Janessa had a tendency to get into mischief if left unattended for too long. Gibbs knew it was exhausting caring for the youngster 24/7. Jackson did an impeccable job of it, and it was obvious that he adored the child but Gibbs knew fatigue when he saw it. Jackson was tired and could use a break.

"Mr. Gibbs," said Janessa, yanking on his arm with an irritated look on her face.

Gibbs looked down at her.

"Are you even hearing my words?"

"Yeppers and there's a lot of them," he teased.

Janessa crossed her eyes at him making him laugh. "Will Aimee remember me?"

"Sure, she will. How could she forget you?"

The little girl shrugged then stopped walked suddenly, forcing Gibbs to stop as well. The hospital was very busy this Saturday morning, people milling around all over the place.

"Why are we stopping?" he asked, searching for the elevators down the hallway.

"Oh no, I forgots my picture for Aimee. We gots to go back home right away and get it for her. I drawed a picture of me and her in the treehouse."

Gibbs scooped up the squirming girl who was trying to pull his arm out of his socket. "It's okay, Ness, I'm sure that Aimee will understand. We will bring it next time we come."

Janessa shook her head. "But daddy, we gots to get it now. What if Papa Jack throws it away?"

"Nessie, Papa Jack would not throw away any of your pictures. Heck, I think he still has every picture I drew when I was five."

Janessa's eyes filled with tears and Gibbs sighed. Lately, Janessa had been nearly impossible to persuade about anything. He figured it was just a phase, but it was getting time-consuming talking her down each time. His patience was wearing thin, and he knew his father had reached his limit as well. The little girl was definitely challenging his parenting skills.

"Daddy," she cried, "We have to goes home right now!"

Gibbs adjusted her weight and headed towards the elevator, trying his best to ignore her sobbing pleas. He just didn't have the time for an hour round trip to retrieve the picture. Once he reached the lift, he pushed the button and waited for the car to return to the main floor. Janessa quickly began to escalate, raising her voice and struggling to get down from Gibbs' arms.

"I'm sorry, Ness, we don't have time today to go back home and get it. You can bring your picture next time. Right now, we need to go see Aimee. She's so excited to see you." Gibbs spoke softly so that Janessa had to quiet down to hear him. It was a trick he'd learned a long time ago in the Marines. Most gunnies yelled and went hoarse; he spoke softly and kept his voice.

The elevator opened and a few people exited the lift. Gibbs entered it and smiled apologetically at the people still inside. Janessa continued to whine and cry about her picture. A few of the people looked at him sympathetically and a few with disdain.

"I-I m-made it 'specially for her, Mr. Gibbs. I neeeeed it!" Her last three words came out as a shriek. Gibbs grimaced realizing that his choice to ignore Janessa had been a bad call. It had only served to escalate her rather than helping her calm down. He knelt down, bracing his back against the wall of the elevator and set her feet to the floor. Janessa immediately began stomping her feet in dismay.

"I want it now!" she screamed.

"Floor number mister?" prompted a woman standing by the floor controls.

"Level 3, thanks," replied Gibbs not looking away from Janessa. He held her tiny hands in his rubbing his thumb in circles hoping the action would calm her down a little. "I know Aimee has drawing materials in her room that I bet she would be glad to share with you, Janessa. You can draw another picture." He kept his voice soft and gentle despite feeling uncomfortable and impatient.

"I don't wanna draws another one. I want my picture!" she shrieked. Her small frame shook with sobs as she stomped her foot again.

Gibbs sighed and rose to his full size once more. He wouldn't be able to change her mind and having an audience was in her favour. He clenched his jaw and shrugged his shoulders in apology to the other occupants of the elevator. The short ride up felt like it was taking hours when in actuality it was only a few moments of time before the lift stopped and they reached their floor. Gibbs scooped up Janessa in his arms again and carried her out while she continued to voice her displeasure. Gibbs was beginning to think it would have been simpler to travel the half hour home to get it. He walked down the corridor silently while Janessa continued her tirade until he noticed an empty waiting area with a door. He entered the room and set Janessa down. When Gibbs caught sight of her, his heart melted. Her eyes were red-rimmed and tears cascaded down her cheeks in torrents. The sight of her was heart-breaking.

"Do you need a hug?" he asked her as she stood trembling and sobbing pathetically in front of him.

"I-I wants my *hiccup* picture," she cried hoarsely.

He knelt down and nodded. "Oh honey, I'm sorry we couldn't go back and get it. I'm hearing how important it is to you to have it."

Janessa threw herself to the floor and kicked her feet. Gibbs moved back a little to let her. He knew that Janessa had been through so much lately and she'd kept it together, living in her own world of make-believe and unicorns. She'd had a few tantrums but nothing major. He'd spent more time at away from her than he'd spent time with her. He figured that Janessa was finally feeling safe enough to completely let go of her emotions, and he was okay with allowing her. Hell, if he wasn't a 50-year-old man expected to hold everything together, he might have collapsed to the floor and joined her. Misbehaviour was one thing but pent up emotions were quite another.

He sat down close to her and softly talked to her while she kicked and screamed for several minutes. Janessa didn't acknowledge him for a while until she stopped flailing her arms and feet. She soon stopped moving and crying and laid staring at the ceiling, hiccupping and sniffling.

"You ready for a hug yet?" asked Gibbs.

The little girl rolled her head back and forth not answering him for a moment and then sat up. Her long blonde hair was tangled and pieces of it were mixed with her tears and mucus from her nose. She was quite a sight in her adorable pink Oshkosh dress and matching leggings.

"Wanna hug?" asked Gibbs again.

Janessa nodded and crawled towards him. Gibbs opened his arms and drew her in close, caressing her head gently.

"Those were some big feelings."

The little girl hiccupped and put her thumb in her mouth.

"Been holding them all inside for a long time, haven't you?"

Janessa's only response was to sniffle. Gibbs fished a tissue out of his pocket and held it to her nose.

"Blow," he said and Janessa did. He gently wiped her nose and shoved the tissue back into his pocket.

"I-I wants my picture, Mr. Gibbs."

"I know you do, Nessie Bear and I promise we will bring it with us next time. It's a long drive home and back, and Aimee's waiting to see you. Remember I said Abby is going to take you out to lunch after we visit Aimee?" He felt her nod against him. "Do you still want to go with her?"

"Yuh huh."

"Okay, how about we go see your sister?"

"I missed her."

Gibbs picked up the little girl and kissed her cheek. "I know you did."

Gibbs did his best to smooth out the little girl's hair as they walked towards Aimee's room.

When they reached Aimee's room, he noticed the door ajar and entered the room to see Abby and Tony had already arrived. The plan was for Abby to take Janessa for the day while Tony and he were going to try and deal with some issues regarding Riley. Once Gibbs came entered the room, he set Janessa to the floor and she stood sheepishly by his side which surprised him. He'd expected the girl to rush to her sister's side.

Aimee's face lit up and she kicked the covers off and sprang out of bed only to be caught by Tony.

"Gibbs!" she shouted with glee, obviously very happy to see her dad.

"Hold on there, Squirt," said Tony, holding her in bed. "You're not allowed outta bed except to use the bathroom. Didn't you hear Dr, Abrams earlier?" Tony's voice held a playful tone about it that made Gibbs roll his eyes. Tony was the biggest pushover of them all when it came to the girls.

He quickly crossed the room and drew the little girl into his arms. "Are you still giving Dr, Abrams a hard time, Aims?"

Aimee hugged him tightly. "I thought you were never coming to see me today."

"It's not that late, you little turkey. Besides, by the looks of things, you were bored in my absence." Gibbs noted Abby cleaning up a game of UNO with a big grin on her face.

"Aimee is a UNO whiz, Gibbs," said Abby. "She beat Tony and me at every game."

"Those stupid switch direction cards trip me up every time," complained Tony, who noticed Janessa and snatched her up into his arms, blowing a loud zerbert on her cheek. Instead of the normal giggles he expected, Janessa scowled and pushed him away with a sour expression on her face. She wiped off her cheek.

"Hey, Monster, you don't like my kisses?" asked Tony, shifting her to his hip.

"Janessa is sad because she forgot to bring her picture for Aimee," explained Gibbs, planting a soft kiss on Aimee's blonde hair. Aimee looked at her sister, slipped out of Gibbs' arms to the floor, and walked over to Janessa.

"It's okay, Ness. I have lotsa paper. Wanna draw a picture with me now?"

Janessa nodded and squirmed to get down from Tony's arms. Gibbs felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw the two little girls embrace one another. Janessa began to sob as Aimee hugged her. There was no doubt in Gibbs' mind that Janessa had been frightened for her sister. They all had been. It had been a very long time since they'd all been together and everything okay. Suddenly, Janessa pulled away from Aimee, bawled up her fist and punched her.

"I hate you!" Janessa sobbed and she punched her again. "You're a stupid dummy head."

Finding his wits, Tony grabbed Janessa's hand and pulled her away from Aimee so she couldn't strike again.

Gibbs rushed forward, leaning down to Janessa's level and looking her straight in the eyes. "Hey, you do not hit your sister!" he scolded. He held her hands firmly in his while frowning at her in displeasure.

Janessa struggled to free her hands, "Lemme go!"

Tony embraced Aimee while Abby stood beside them looking dumbfounded.

"I hate her," sobbed Janessa, yanking as hard as she could to free her hands.

"Why do you hate her?" asked Gibbs, furrowing a brow, truly shocked at the little girl's actions. It was completely out of character for Janessa to lash out at Aimee.

Aimee pushed Tony away, looking angry and hurt at the same time. "Stop saying that!" she said, tears freely flowing as she glared at Janessa. "Stop saying you hate me."

Janessa kicked Gibbs' shin hard enough to cause him to lose his balance, and he let go of her hands to brace himself with his hand to prevent falling. Janessa ran towards Aimee and kicked her as well.

"You runs away and made everybody cry," shouted Janessa, her hands on her hips. Tony went to grab her again but Gibbs said, "DiNozzo, leave her."

Aimee took a step away from her sister and held her hands up in defence. "I'm sorry, Nessie. I wanted to keep everyone safe…"

Janessa pointed a finger in Aimee's face. "I was scared, Aimee. I thought you got killed." Janessa choked back a sob. "You can't runs away from people who love you. You can't do that no more, okay? I love you too much." Aimee nodded and Janessa threw herself into her sister arms sobbing. "I just loves you too much, Aimee. I really do."

 **Awww...poor Janessa! Aimee better stop her shenanigans or Janessa just might clean her clock LOL**

 **I have a five-year-old and they have some really big feeling sometimes. I have to stay on my toes to keep my parenting proactive and positive. I see Gibbs as being that type of parent. I don't believe he would be very quick to lose his temper with any child. I adore all the scenes of Gibbs with children. I'm blessed my husband is good at tag teaming me too. :)**

 **My next chapter will be focussing on Riley...and I haven't forgotten poor Makayla as well. Jenn and she have some things they need to work out.**


	38. Chapter 38

_**Hi Readers!**_

 _ **Surprise, I edited another chapter.**_

 _ **Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! You are all so amazing!**_

 _ **This chapter really wore me out...I plan my characters and their backstories well before I even begin writing. I knew this part of the story would throw readers for a loop...I hope you enjoy it. Riley's backstory is complicated.**_

Gibbs laid on the bed with Aimee listening to her ramble about a movie she'd watched with Tony recently. She didn't need much encouragement to chatter, with Gibbs only needing to say an occasional 'yep' or 'wow' along the way. It suited him just fine to enjoy the sound of her sweet voice while he snuggled with her. Gibbs smiled as he thought about how much his team loved his daughters. Ziva, Tim, Tony and Abby had spent as much time with Aimee as he had, each of them vying for alone time with the little girl. He also knew that Ducky and Palmer had made more than a few appearances as well. He felt so blessed to have such great friends in his life. After Shannon and Kelly had died, he'd felt so alone. There had been times when he didn't think he could get out of bed one more day, but he'd done it anyway. At first, he just went through the motions but with time, he'd let people in again. Looking down at his daughter, he was glad he'd allowed himself to love again.

"Daddy?" Aimee's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Uhumm," he said pulling the blankets up over her.

"Are you mad at me?"

Gibbs lifted a brow and looked into Aimee's eyes with concern.

"Have I acted like I'm mad?"

Aimee shook her head. "Well, no…"

"Then why do you think I am?"

Aimee shrugged and rested her head on Gibbs' chest. "Because I ran away…" she hesitated for a moment then continued, "and you haven't mentioned it even once."

"I guess I didn't know what to say yet, so I was waiting until you're home and feeling better. I suppose you and me are gonna need to talk about it at some point."

Aimee squirmed under the blankets. "I was afraid of that," she mumbled making Gibbs bite back a smirk.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "Aimee, I'm not mad at you, honey. I can tell you this much though; you scared me half to death. Janessa was telling the truth when she said you made everyone sick with worry. You have to understand that we're family now…you, me and Janessa, not to mention Tony, Tim, Abby and everyone else at NCIS. They all love you! You don't need to protect me or Janessa. That's my job. I'm the daddy and I get to do the protecting. You got it?"

Aimee nodded. "Tony and Tim said that too."

"Good, I hope you listened to them. You're one lucky little girl to have so many people who love you. Aimee, I was so afraid you'd be hurt or killed out there on your own. You really don't have any idea how lucky you are that Riley found you and not some creepy bad guy. Do you know what I'm saying?"

"I think so."

Gibbs tipped her chin up and looked deeply into her eyes. "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm so thankful Riley's a good guy and he felt responsible enough to keep you safe. If it wasn't for him and his quick thinking…" Gibbs swallowed a few times and released the child's chin. He didn't want to allow his thoughts to go that route. It led him to a dark place he never wanted to visit again. "I'm just thankful you're in my arms right now and nothing bad happened."

Tears shimmered in Aimee's eyes. "Are you going to spank me?

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Do you think you deserve it?"

Aimee fidgeted and pulled away from Gibbs, resting her head on the pillow. "I'd be lying if I said no, but I don't want a spanking."

This time Gibbs chuckled and he snuggled down further in the bed, placing his head on the pillow beside Aimee's. He looked at her and said, "Yah, I know."

Aimee was quiet a moment and then she moved her head against Gibbs. "If you're gonna, can you just get it over with? The waiting part makes my tummy ache."

"My tummy hasn't stopped hurting since the day you ran away."

Aimee was quiet again.

Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face. Lying close to Aimee and feeling her warmth made him want to stay beside her forever. For once, life felt the way it should be. Aimee was safe and recovering well. The doctors had said she would be released to go home on Monday. David Brody, surprisingly enough, gave up custody of Aimee. Apparently, a few of the higher-ups were persuasive enough to get through to the man. Gibbs wasn't asking any questions. He was happy to be rid of the headache. With Brody's signature, the final stage of adoption for his girls had been completed. The only thing left to do was sign some paperwork with a judge and Janessa and Aimee were his forever. Gibbs' heart was full to overflowing.

Pulling himself up into a sitting position, Gibbs leaned against the backboard of the hospital bed. Aimee sat up as well looking at him expectantly.

"Okay then, let's get it over with, and we'll save the talk until we get you home. How does that sound?"

Aimee chewed her lip as tears rolled down her cheeks. "O-okay."

Gibbs pulled the little girl across his lap; his heart broke a little when he heard her soft cries and he rubbed her back to help ease her mind. Gibbs didn't plan to really spank her. In his own mind, he'd already decided that everything she'd been through was punishment enough. But when Aimee asked him, he figured it was because she expected it and maybe he ought to follow through for good measure. He was willing to do just about anything to put the running away behind them.

He bit back a smirk when he saw the thick, blue flannel Little Mermaid pyjama bottoms Aimee wore, compliments of Abby. The Goth had thought of everything. Abby had brought in games, stuffed animals and who knew what else. Aimee's hospital room was beginning to look as cozy as her bedroom at home. Gibbs waited as she fidgeted to get comfortable, then he raised his hand and swatted her once firmly on the backside. "Don't you ever run away from me again, Aimee Gibbs," he said sternly.

Tears filled his eyes. He'd been so paralyzed with fear and dread that he hadn't even dared to allow himself permission to acknowledge it. He raised his hand again, this time deciding to swat her hard enough to punctuate his words and leave a lasting sting behind. Aimee let out a shriek and then dissolved into sobs. "I'm sorry! I-I won't," she cried, throwing her hand back to cover her backside.

Gibbs knew he'd made his point so he pulled her up into his arms and hugged her.

"Shhh…"he crooned, rocking her in his arms. "It's over and you're safe."

Aimee continued to cry, releasing her own fear and guilt. "N-nessie was really mad at me."

"She was scared, Aimee. I think being five years old is really hard sometimes. No one tells you anything and most of the time, you've pushed aside while all the adults figure stuff out. Ness did a good job at hiding how she felt."

"No one tells nine-year-olds much either," Aimee pointed out quietly, sniffling.

Gibbs pulled her in closer and pressed a kiss on her head. "Yah, I guess that's true too."

"I'm sorry, daddy. I thought by running away I could protect you and Ness and everyone from Brody."

"I know you did, honey, and you're forgiven. You have to stop that stinkin' thinking. It's not your job to protect me. Thank God, that chip is out of your head and life can get back to normal." He kissed the spot that was bandaged gently. "Director Shepard made sure that every news outlet in the country reported about that chip being recovered intact. No one has any need to come after you anymore and David Brody is tucked away for good."

Aimee shivered. "Did it help?"

Gibbs rested his cheek on her head. "What do you mean?"

"Did it tell you who the bad guys are?"

"That chip wasn't worth your life, Aimee. I don't care what was on it."

"I know that but did it help you catch all the bad guys who steal kids?"

Gibbs nodded grimly. Aimee could have lost her life over the stupid piece of computer circuitry. It didn't matter to him how many lives were saved as a result of the microchip. Yes, he knew many people would think him selfish to pick his child's life over 100s maybe 1000s of other woman and children, but he didn't care. Aimee's life was priceless to him.

"A lot of bad people are going to jail for a very long time thanks to that chip," answered Gibbs softly.

A smile played on the lips of the little blonde girl in his arms. "I'm glad of that. At least something good came from it. I know running away mightn't have been the best way, but…"

"No buts! It wasn't the best way at all, so how about you don't finish that thought and risk making me cross with you," Gibbs interrupted with a frown.

Aimee closed her mouth and nodded, looking sheepishly at him.

Just then Aimee's door opened and a young looking nurse came into the room. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said with a friendly smile.

"Nope," said Gibbs, returning the smile. "Aimee and I were just having a heart to heart."

"More like a hand to butt," Aimee mumbled disgruntledly, just loud enough for Gibbs to hear.

Gibbs rolled his eyes with a chuckle and tickled her until she burst out laughing.

"Well, Agent Gibbs, if you wouldn't mind leaving us alone for a bit, us girls need to get freshened up and pretty, plus I'd like to change the bandage on Aimee's head."

Gibbs rose from the bed and straightened his clothing. "It's okay with me, if it's okay with you, Aims. I can stay if you want me too."

Aimee sat up. "It's okay, daddy, Katie is super nice plus she braids my hair better than you. You should teach my dad how to braid, Katie. He's awful!" teased Aimee.

Katie laughed as Gibbs attacked Aimee with kisses all over her face.

"I'll tell Riley you said hi," said Gibbs as he grabbed his dress jacket from the chair. "Tony is visiting with him now. I'll come back at supper and bring you something tastier than hospital food. How does that sound?"

Aimee grinned as Katie began to remove the bandage on her head carefully. Gibbs grimaced when he caught a glimpse of the bruised incision area. It looked like it was healing well, but it still looked tremendously sore.

"Sounds good. I like pizza in case you forgot." Aimee had an impish look on her face.

Gibbs laughed and winked at her. "I haven't forgotten, silly girl, but I think Papa Jack made something much healthier for a growing girl."

"Better not be meatloaf," groaned Aimee, making a sour face, "That stuff tastes awful."

Gibbs laughed again and left the room. He had to agree; Jackson's meatloaf was not his best cuisine, but there was no way he was going to tell him that.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Riley smacked his head and laughed. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Nope," said Tony seriously, "I wouldn't joke about such things."

Riley furrowed a brow at the man sitting across from him. In the past several days, he'd gotten to know Tony really well. He'd discovered that Tony was a walking encyclopedia when it came to movies, and there wasn't a single movie the guy hadn't seen. Well, at least when it came to movies Riley knew about. Riley didn't know why the older man was spending so much time with him while he was in hospital custody except that maybe it was Tony's way of keeping an eye on him. He figured NCIS was making sure that Riley didn't conveniently disappear on them.

"C'mon, no one owns a black and white television anymore."

"Jethro Gibbs does."

Riley laughed. "Who the heck names their kid Jethro? It sounds like a name for some hillbilly in the Appalachian mountains somewhere."

Tony chuckled and shuffled the deck of cards in his hands. "Almost. Gibbs originates from Stillwater, Pennsylvania: home of the homemade blueberry muffin. True story. Up for another game, kid?"

Riley raised his hands in surrender. "No way, as it stands now, I owe you my firstborn. Not sure if I want to give up my second born just yet; my future wife might not appreciate it."

Tony smirked and returned the cards to their package. He looked at his watch and whistled. "Time sure flies fast when you're having fun. I should get going. I wonder where Gibbs got to anyway."

Riley stood from the chair he was sitting on and stretched the kinks out of his back. He'd been under the care of a mental health physician ever since he'd collapsed when his father visited him. He didn't exactly remember everything about his dad's visit, but he'd been told he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, whatever that was.

"I take it Gibbs wants to talk to me."

Tony nodded. "Yah, he does. You should really confide in him, Riley. He's a good guy, and he has connections that might be able to help with your case. Going UA wasn't the best of ideas, but I know you had some extenuating circumstances."

"He's been cool. I like him," replied Riley walking over to his bed and sitting down once again. "Do you think he'd let me see Aimee?"

Tony pulled on his dress jacket and straightened the collar of his shirt. "I know he will. Talk to him, Rye. I know he's rough around the edges, but he's really more bark than bite."

"Is that so, DiNozzo?"

Riley laughed when he saw the colour drain from Tony's face. The man spun around to see Gibbs walking up behind him. Tony had mentioned more than once that he thought Gibbs was some kind of ninja. The older man seemed to show up out of the blue just when Tony said something he probably shouldn't have. The teenager enjoyed seeing the playful banter between the two friends. It was plain to see how much the two men respected one another.

"Uh, hi Boss, how goes it?"

Gibbs smirked as he reached out and rewarded Tony with a playful smack in the back of the head.

Tony winced in his usual overly dramatic way while Riley laughed.

"How's the little rug rat doing?" asked Tony, tucking his dress shirt in and grabbing his keys from the hospital side table.

Gibbs sat in the chair Tony vacated and stretched out his legs. "Good. She's being released Monday."

"That's fantastic!" Tony's smile lit up his face. Gibbs smiled as well.

"How are you doing, Riley? Sleep okay last night?" asked Gibbs.

Riley chewed on his bottom lip a moment not wanting to discuss it. He had nightmares every night. The dreams seemed to be a melting pot of his father and his DI. He couldn't seem to separate the two men in his head anymore. One picked up from where the other left off.

"I slept okay enough,' he answered, figuring the answer was the safest bet.

Gibbs and Tony exchanged a knowing look.

"Well, I'm gonna head out," said Tony heading towards the door. "Got some time to play tomorrow, kid?"

Riley sighed. "I'm kinda a captive player here."

"True dat…anything you're good at?"

"Obviously not poker."

Tony chuckled obnoxiously. "You can say that again."

"Shut up, DiNozzo!" said Riley, laughing as well.

"Oh, is that how it is now? Well, just for that, I'm going to teach you to play Blackjack."

Riley frowned. "What's that?"

An evil smile washed over Tony's face that reminded Riley of the Cheshire cat. "Wouldn't you like to know." With those final words and another evil snicker, Tony disappeared from the room.

Riley looked at Gibbs with a laugh. "Is he always like that?"

Gibbs nodded. "I'm 'fraid so."

Riley got into bed and leaned against the headboard, adjusting the pillows behind him. "So, Aimee can go home. That's so great to hear. She's really okay?"

Gibbs adjusted the chair so he was facing Riley and made himself comfortable. "Yep. She's doing really well."

"She's a good kid."

Gibbs nodded. "Yah, she is. A handful sometimes but I wouldn't trade her for the world."

"Do you think I could see her before she leaves?"

Gibbs leaned back in the chair and scrubbed a hand across his face, but he didn't answer right away. Riley felt a lump grow in his throat when the man didn't answer him. The thoughts in his mind instantly assaulted him. _You're stupid to believe he'd ever let you near his kid. You thought he'd beaten her up or something. He probably hates you for not calling him as soon as you found Aimee again._

"I'll tell you what. You answer my questions truthfully, and I'll bring Aimee to visit you tonight after supper, but that means you need to be honest with me. Deal?"

Riley worried his bottom lip a moment. He wasn't sure what kind of questions the man was going to ask him. Up until now, Gibbs hadn't hassled him about much of anything except confirmation that Roy Janssen was his father.

"As long as I get a pass to refuse a question," negotiated Riley.

Gibbs smiled. "I'll do better than that; I'll give you two passes."

Riley swallowed the lump in his throat. He wasn't sure he wanted to talk to Gibbs or anyone for that matter, but he did very much want to see Aimee before she left the hospital. It might be the last time he'd get a chance since he figured he was going to be spending some time in jail when everything was said and done.

"Ok, deal," He said with a sigh. He felt defeated before they even started.

Gibbs nodded.

Riley watched as the man pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. He held it out towards Riley. Riley looked at it and felt his heart rate increase. His mouth went dry as he stared at something he'd gone to great lengths to cover up.

"Where'd you get this?" asked Riley, his hands suddenly clammy. The information had the potential to mess things up for him substantially.

Gibbs seemed to ignore his question. "There seem to be some discrepancies."

"It's not important. Just let it drop, alright?"

"You're a bit of a conundrum, Mr. Janssen."

"Ask your question or drop it," snapped Riley, feeling sweat forming on his upper lip. No one could know about this and he'd do just about anything he could to keep it under wraps. It was none of anyone's business but him.

"How old are you, Riley?"

Riley's hands stopped shaking and he looked boldly at Gibbs. "I told you. I'm 18."

"That paper says otherwise."

"It's fake…"

"It's a government document."

"So, what's your point? Are you telling me they can't be faked? I've got an ID in my wallet that says I'm 21. Are you telling me it's authentic? It's a government document."

Gibbs' face hardened. "Tell me about Ryan."

Riley crumpled up the paper in his hand and fired it at the window. The questions had hardly started, and he was already angry. His brother was no one's business. Ryan was dead, and Riley wasn't willing to talk about him.

"Who told you about my brother? My dad? He's a drunken bastard. Don't believe anything he says."

"How old were you when he died?"

Riley stood to his feet and turned to face the window. He forced himself to concentrate on the activity going on outside to help him calm down. He saw teenagers skateboarding on pathways, people riding bikes, mothers pushing baby carriages, and children playing happily in the last warm days of autumn.

"It doesn't matter."

"When did you steal Ryan's identity?"

Riley spun on his heel to face Gibbs. "Shut up!"

Gibbs stood up and pulled another document from his jacket. He held up a birth certificate. "How long did you think you could get away with the charade? I grew up in a small town too, Riley. I could sweet talk the clothes off of any pretty young clerk in the county office too."

Riley's heart beat hard against his ribcage. His breathing became rapid and he felt like the room was spinning around him. _Keep it together, Riley_. _He doesn't know anything! He's bluffing._ Riley had guarded the secret so long that he'd almost forgotten what was real and what wasn't. His mother had been so busy fearing for their lives that she stopped keeping track of him, and as time passed, it had just gotten easier because people forgot.

Gibbs read the document aloud. "Riley Andrew Janssen, born August 15th…"

Riley lunged forward and snatched the certificate from Gibbs's hand, ripping it to pieces.

Gibbs didn't seem concerned by the action. He dropped his hands to his side. "You realize your age changes everything, don't you?"

"Why should it? I'm still UA. I still assaulted my drill sergeant. What changed?"

"Tell me the truth, Riley. How old are you?"

"Pass," Riley said. "You said I get two passes."

Gibbs nodded silently moving onto his next question. "Why did you join the Marines?"

Riley turned back around and watched a little kid climb a tree to reach a kite. The kid seemed to have no fear as he climbed to the highest branch he could reach. Meanwhile, the child's parent or whoever was with him watched anxiously from the ground. "Roy was a Marine. He used to tell stories to my brother and me about his days in the Corps. He made it sound like a dream. He said Marines are the most respected branch in the military. Pretty sure it's the only thing he ever loved." Riley shrugged, watching the kid outside retrieve the kite and drop it to the ground triumphantly. "I guess, even though he's a bastard, there's still a part of me that wants him to be proud of me. I thought if I was a Marine he just might; you know what I mean?"

Gibbs nodded sympathetically. "For what's it worth, Riley, most kids want their parents to be proud of them. It's normal."

Riley shook his head. "Doesn't matter."

"Did you know Roy attacked Makayla?" asked Gibbs.

Riley felt the colour drain from his face, and he grabbed onto the window ledge for support. It wasn't that he was surprised by anything his father did; it just took the wind out of his sails when he heard it. When he was a kid, he always heard rumours about the stuff his dad did. It just felt like he was sucker punched to hear Gibbs tell him to his face. Riley licked his dry lips resorting to making excuses for his father like he always did. Of course, no one knew the real truth but Riley and even he had a difficult time telling the truth from fiction anymore. "I'm pretty sure he was drunk. He does dumb stuff when he's drinking. Is she okay?"

"He was definitely intoxicated," agreed Gibbs. "He didn't hurt her, but he sure gave her a good scare." Gibbs' extra information seemed like a gift and Riley accepted it as such. Riley liked Makayla, and he sure would have felt terrible if his father had hurt her. _Damn it, why did he always feel responsible for what his old man did?_

Riley exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Is he in custody?"

Gibbs nodded. "Between what he tried with Makayla and what I witnessed with you, your father is going to be detained for quite some time."

"I won't press charges if that's what you're thinking."

Riley would never agree to press charges against his father. He'd made a promise to his mother, and he would keep it until he died. His mother believed that Ryan's death changed his father and what the man did as a result wasn't his fault. Riley wasn't sure he believed it, but he knew his mother did, and he would never do anything to hurt his mother. His mother still loved Roy despite the fact the man beat her up so many times.

Gibbs quirked his eyebrow. "Why?"

"Is that your question, Agent Gibbs, because if it is, I'm about to use my second pass."

"It's not."

"Good. Change the subject."

Riley's clenched his fists together at his side still watching the tree climber. The child successfully reached the ground with a satisfied smile on his face. It took only a moment before the parent or caregiver was at the child's side scolding him. Riley could identify with the kid. No one saw his accomplishments either. Riley turned and leaned against the window ledge. Gibbs hit him with an intense glare and Riley stubbornly clenched his jaw. He wasn't going to open up much about life with his father. The counsellor hadn't gotten anywhere either. Somethings were better left unsaid.

"Tell me about your, DI, Adams."

Riley's face visibly paled. "What do you want to know?" Another topic he wasn't keen on discussing.

"I'm told he's a formidable man. Would you say that's true?"

Riley laughed cynically. "Sir, with all due respect, you're a formidable man. Adams is a prick."

Gibbs was quiet a moment, indifferent to Riley's words. "Care to explain?"

"Not really."

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Tell me why you think Adams is a prick."

Riley sighed, walking towards the bed and sitting down again. "I'm not stupid, Agent Gibbs. Gunnery Sergeant Adams has been around a lot longer than me, and he will be around for a long time after my sorry carcass is nothing but a distant memory. Nothing I say is going to change anything."

"Riley, you told me he waterboarded you. That's a serious accusation."

Riley closed his eyes and groaned. "Yes, he did it and in front of my whole platoon but you know what? Not a single guy who saw it will tell you I didn't deserve what I got."

Gibbs leaned forward. "I don't believe that, Riley. Those guys in your platoon will be the ones you fight alongside in combat. You'll never meet men more loyal in your lifetime. Being a Marine means you are part of a rare brotherhood. For life. Semper Fi."

Riley felt tears burn in the back of his eyes. He'd be the first to admit that he'd met a bunch of solid guys, ones that had stood up for him. One guy even ended up with a dislocated shoulder going up against Adams after he waterboarded Riley the first time. Others followed suit on additional occasions and each one lived to regret it afterwards. It got so bad that Riley warned them all to mind their own damn business. He didn't want friendships anyway. They were too complicated. Caring about people was risky, and he wanted no part of it. Letting people in only messed with his head.

"Who cares? Look, Adams saw me for a troublemaker the day I set foot on base. I don't know why and it doesn't matter. He pegged me as his whipping boy, and nothing's gonna change that. I knew when I signed up that being a Marine would be a tough ride. I buckled under the pressure. The Crucible isn't for cowards, Agent Gibbs, and I'm a coward. It's just that simple." Riley held out his hands. "Arrest me; I'm ready to face the music."

Gibbs looked at him dispassionately and Riley dropped his hands. "Geez, man, what do you want from me?"

Gibbs sighed and shook his head. "Riley, I'm amazed you even made it to the Crucible. Fourteen percent of kids older than you don't even make it that far. You're damned right, it's not for cowards and you, Riley Janssen, are no coward. You're a man in every sense of the word and a damned good one from what I've heard. Your fellow recruits reported that you made it to the final event right alongside them. They said you performed admirably and were a team player. They considered you an asset to the team. All you had left was the 9-mile hike, for Pete's sake. Riley, for all intents and purposes, you are a Marine. The rest was gravy." Gibbs reached into his pocket and held out his hand.

"What is it?" asked Riley.

"Go ahead, take it."

Riley's hand trembled as he reached for the insignia in Gibbs' hand. It was the coveted eagle, globe and anchor. Every Marine knew when he received it that he had finally made it. He was a Marine. Riley looked at Gibbs and this time tears did run down his face.

"That's my EGA. I want you to have it as a reminder of who you are. There's going to be some rough days ahead, but I've got your six, Riley. You keep that until we can get you your own."

Riley fingered the pin with the utmost respect. He looked up at Gibbs, "I just remember being so damned tired. He never let me sleep for more than an hour or two."

"You're supposed to be allowed four."

"The first night I don't think I even got two. He was hell-bent on making sure I failed. He even took one of my allotted MREs and accused me of not rationing them properly."

"How'd you know he took it and not another recruit?"

Riley scowled. "He took it out of my pack and ate it in front of me while he made me do push-ups in the middle of the damned night. I-I couldn't even think straight the next day," Riley fisted the pin and put it to his mouth as he choked on the lump in his throat. "He busted my ass the whole next day too, but I kept my eyes on the prize just like everyone else. We just kept telling each other there were only so many hours left. We collapsed the last night of exhaustion, but Adams woke me up again. I don't know how long I'd slept but I lost it, Agent Gibbs. I can't even remember what I did to Adams. I just remember running, and not looking back." Riley held the EGA back out to Gibbs. "I'm not Marine, sir. I'm a coward, plain and simple."

Gibbs' reached out and folded Riley's hand around the pin firmly. "No, you're a 16-year-old kid that survived a man's training exercise designed to simulate the rigours and stress of combat. I don't know how you managed it, Riley, but you earned the respect of every single recruit in your platoon that day and all of them are prepared to stand up for you against Adams. If you can survive the USMC Crucible, son, you can do anything."

Riley sat down in the chair and stared at the pin. "I'm 18, sir."

Gibbs walked across the room and picked up the crumpled paper from the floor. He smoothed out the document and went to stand directly in front of Riley. Gibbs put a hand on Riley's shoulder and shoved the paper in his face.

"This document says otherwise, Riley. Your brother, Ryan, would have been 18, but according to the public records you tried so hard to hide, you're 16 years old and a minor."

Riley shook his head. "I'm 18."

Gibbs knelt down in front of him and rested a hand on his knee. "I know you're scared of your father, Riley, but you don't have to be. Roy Janssen can't hurt you or your mom anymore."

"You don't know him like I do!"

Gibbs smiled at him. "And you don't know me. I can help you, Riley. You just need to let me."

Riley rubbed his thumb gingerly over the emblem in his hands. Every single thing that mattered in his life had been torn away from him. The only person he could ever count on was himself and he'd failed. There wasn't anything else left to lose.

 _ **Truth is stranger than fiction:**_

 _ **Usually, I enjoy including some "real-life" drama into my stories. Aimee and Janessa's adventures often mirror my own kids' escapades...to some extent anyway. I wasn't sure how to work this into a story so thought I'd drop it here for a smile.**_

 _ **Anyone here a drummer or know a drummer?**_

 _ **My hubby is a drummer. That man is constantly drumming a beat on something, especially if he's working on a new song for the church worship team. My kids think it's hilarious if he fips one of them over his knee and uses them as his drum. He will drum a beat on their back and they bust a gut laughing.**_

 _ **Recently we've been teaching our older kids about consent...things like no one has the right to touch, hug or kiss you without permission etc...my younger ones (2 and 1) are in the room with us but we don't often think they understand much of anything we are talking about. The other day my husband grabbed our two year, flipped her over his knee and began to drum a beat on her...she screeched at him "Stop, I don't give you "sent". I'm biting my tongue to keep from laughing as he picked her up and apologized for doing it without permission. She smiled sweetly at him and said, 'okay, you have "sent" now." She then leaned over so he could finish his drumbeat on her back. BAHAHA I'm laughing just typing that.**_

 _ **Gotta love kids!**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Jenny Wrens**_


	39. Chapter 39

_**Greetings faithful readers!**_

 _ **I managed a short chapter today...had to spend quite a bit of time figuring out a few details that probably won't even matter to my readers but in the name of authenticity, they mattered to me. Special thanks to 90TheGeneral09 for all his insights.**_

 _ **Okay, so here it is...enjoy.**_

 _ **A little Abby spunkiness for you since we haven't had any in a while, and she was feeling neglected. :)**_

 _ **Oh, and to some of you who thought my two-year-old was an exceptional speaker...her words were loosely translated by me (I speak a mean 2-year-old dialect LOL)**_

Gibbs started to ascend the stairs of the bullpen followed by Abby who was right at his heels. He held a lukewarm coffee in one hand and a file folder in the other.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs," she said for what Gibbs was sure the 100th time in the past half hour. Abby had followed him around the bullpen and down to the cafeteria to get coffee. He'd even treated her to a Caf-Pow in hopes of persuading her to accept his answer.

"The answer is no, Abbs." He was proud of himself for being so patient with her this early in the morning. He always admired Abby's tenacity except when he didn't.

"But,"

"No," he said reaching the halfway mark of the staircase. _Was it just him or had the number of steps multiplied overnight?_ He felt like his knees were complaining more than usual.

"Gibbs, I don't think you understand what an opportunity this is…"

"Still no."

Abby sighed loudly but continued to sing his name until they reached the landing where he turned to face her. Abby smacked into him, a pout settling on her face.

"Gibbs…"

Gibbs pointed a finger in her face sternly. "Abby, my patience is wearing thin with you this morning, and it's not even 08:00."

Abby glared at him. "You're not being fair, Gibbs."

He sighed and kept walking with Abby on his heels. He headed towards Jenny's office for a scheduled meeting and stopped short of Cynthia's door. He turned around once more to find Abby nearly touching her nose to his. He blinked a few times and took a step back. Abby crossed her arms in defiance.

"You know, I could have just gone without telling you."

Gibbs lifted a brow in amusement. "And you could find yourself on the receiving end of the infamous Gibbs' smack."

Abby scowled. "You wouldn't."

Gibbs gave her his best "dad" glare, brewing uncertainty in her.

Abby threw up her hands in frustration and growled. "Fine, be like that." She turned on her heel and stomped away loudly in her heavy boots, mumbling under her breath.

Jenny came out into the hallway and stared at Abby's retreating form.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

Gibbs escorted Jenny back into the outer office, nodding pleasantly at Cynthia on the way by her desk.

"Abby had her mind set on a field trip."

Jenny looked confused. "What kind of field trip?"

"You know that case my team has been looking into?"

Jenny nodded and entered her office, followed by Gibbs and shutting the door. Gibbs walked across the room, tossed his now cold coffee into the bin and proceeded to pour himself another from Jenny's fresh pot. He took a long drink of the hot beverage and closed his eyes as he did. He appreciated many things about Jenny Shepard but none more than the fact she knew how to make one hell of a good cup of coffee.

"Now that's coffee."

Jenn laughed and pointed at a chair by the conference table. "Sit down, Jethro."

"Don't mind if I do," he said, groaning as he sat tossing his file on the table.

"Why would Abby think she needs to go on a field trip?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't know and don't care. Abby is a forensic scientist, and she belongs in her lab. Every time that girl goes off on some 'field trip', it ends up in disaster. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of surprises. I want peace and quiet for at least one day."

Jenny laughed and sat across from Gibbs, sipping on her own cup of java. "You're gonna be in her bad books all day."

"I can live with that. At least I'll know where she is and what she's doing."

"It's your funeral."

Gibbs grunted and took another drink of his coffee.

"I heard Aimee is coming home today."

Gibbs set his mug down and smiled. "You heard correctly. I brought Janessa to daycare this morning so my dad could be with Aimee while they do a few more tests. He's bringing her home after lunch, and if you and Mak aren't busy tonight, we'd love for you two to come to my house for a celebration."

Jenny's smile lit up her eyes. "I'm sure that could be arranged."

"How's Mak doing?"

"I think okay. She asked to go to school today which surprised me. After everything that transpired the last few days, I figured she'd want some downtime, but she was up bright and early this morning wanting to go to school."

Gibbs was surprised too. Makayla had spent so much time complaining about school that he thought she'd use any excuse not to go. "Did you two talk at all?"

Jenny crossed her legs. "Some, but not much as I would have liked. I know she's still upset but she won't confide in me at all."

"Damn, I was hoping she'd cave a little. I really did my best to talk to her, Jenn. Are you going to call your sister?"

Jenny picked up the pencil on the table and tapped it a few times. "I don't know what else to do. I scared, Jethro. What if she takes off again?"

Gibbs reached out and placed his hand on Jenn's to still it. "She's hurting, Jenn. You have to ask yourself if her parents will help her or just make things worse."

Jenn seemed to ponder that for a few moments. "If she was your daughter, Jethro, would you want to know?"

Gibbs pondered that. It was a good question. If it was Aimee or Janessa or even Kelly than yah, he'd want to know. Hell, he'd want to know if it was Abby or Ziva or even Tim or Tony for that matter. He probably wasn't the best one to ask the question. As much as he wouldn't want to make things worse, he probably would.

"I guess I would," he admitted. "But, if you decide to stick it out, I just want you to know that I'm here to help. I've grown to care for Mak a lot."

Jenn pulled her hand away and patted his in return. "I know you have and believe me the feelings are mutual. The one thing she does talk about freely is you."

Gibbs smirked. "Sorry."

Jenny rolled her eyes at him and shook her head in an admission of defeat.

Gibbs laughed in return. Despite the tension still growing behind his temples thinking about Riley's case, he was glad to share a moment of levity with a friend.

Jenn stood to her feet and walked across the room to her desk, grabbing a folder and returning to sit down again. She rubbed the back of her neck as a pained expression came over her face. She pushed the thick folder towards Gibbs. Gibbs noticed it was marked confidential.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." A smile played on his lips.

This time she scowled at him which just made him laugh again.

"This is serious, Jethro."

He groaned. "I know it is." He looked at her with a sheepish expression. "Last night was the first night I've slept 8 hours in I don't know how long. I just might be a little delirious."

Jenny smiled at him sympathetically.

Gibbs straightened up, forcing himself to get back to business. He opened the file and wasn't surprised to see Gunnery Sergeant James Adam's face staring back at him. He flipped through the file noting all the commendations and glowing reports about the man. Gibbs shut it and shrugged.

"So, what? Have you seen mine, Jenn?"

Jenn scowled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Adams has been a military man for the better part of his life. Of course, his service record is going to be glowing. I want to see what's not written in here. I want to see what the recruits said about him after the most recent Crucible and every Crucible before that. I want to see what those young men have said about him, not his peers. My service record is exemplary too, but you know firsthand what a son of a bitch I can be. Pretty sure you don't document everything."

Jenn's scowl deepened. "Maybe I should."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "No skin off my nose."

Jenn sighed. "There isn't some kind of conspiracy to make Adams look good, Jethro. He is good. Your friend, Brigadier General Marshall, sent that to me by the way. He's not exactly pleasant to deal with either when he's pissed. Riley Janssen has managed to stir up quite an uproar at Parris Island."

"Good. I want Adams pulled off those recruits. He's a time bomb in the making."

"Jethro, do you understand that this has the attention of SecNav? The last time I spoke with him, I had to hold the phone away from my ear."

Gibbs shrugged. "Well, you'll be glad to read this then."Gibbs shoved his file folder towards her. "McGee dug up everything on Riley's background. It's all there in black and white, and it's not pretty. It's interesting to note that Roy Janssen was in the Marines until Riley was 10…go ahead, read it for yourself."

Jenny pinched the bridge of her nose and took the file. Sighing, she went to sit at her desk, put on her glasses and opened the file. Gibbs rose and refilled his coffee. It was going to take a while for her to digest it all.

XxXxNCISxXxX

"Wake up, Jethro."

Gibbs groaned when he felt Jenn poke him with her boney fingers.

"I thought you said you got 8 hours last night."

Gibbs opened his eyes and blinked a few times before sitting up. He was surprised to realize he'd fallen asleep on the sofa waiting for her to read Riley's file. Jenn sat in the chair adjacent to him and offered the file back.

"You could have at least extended me the same courtesy and read Adam's file."

Gibbs shrugged. "I didn't need to, Jenn." He yawned and stretched to wake himself up.

Jenn scowled.

"Riley isn't the first recruit that's come across my desk associated with Adam's heavy-handedness."

Jenny leaned forward on her knees. "How the hell could this have happened, Jethro? How did a 15-year-old manage to enlist in the first place?"

"Ever heard of the Veterans of Underage Military Service?"

"That's different and you know it. Those men joined during wartime, and it was a whole other era. It wasn't uncommon for people to lie about their age. My father said he lied about his age to get his driver's licence at 14 instead 16. It was just easier in those days."

Gibbs sighed. "I know. I was just making a point that it happens. Riley signed a contract with the Marines but he was underage when he did it. If he was an adult and it was discovered, he would probably be kicked out of the military for falsifying his enlistment and forfeit any opportunity to ever enlist again. This is complicated for sure, but thankfully for Riley's sake, it's redeemable. Minors can't be held accountable for anything they sign. The contract is null and void. For all intents and purposes, a 16-year-old kid completed the Crucible, defended himself against the man who was abusing him and ran away. Case closed."

Jenn just shook her head in complete bewilderment. "How on earth could his mother have let this happen?"

Gibbs looked for his mug on the coffee table and took a drink from it grimacing as he did. His coffee was cold. _Just how long had he slept for?_

"From what I can tell, after Riley's brother died, the whole family structure crumbled, and Roy was eventually given an Other-than-Honourable discharge."

"He was charged with domestic abuse; no doubt that helped lead to that discharge."

Gibbs shrugged. "Probably. Any conviction by a civilian court with a sentence including prison time would do it."

Jenny was quiet for several moments. "So, where does that leave us?"

"It leaves us with a messed up 16-year-old boy, an abusive DI and probably a pissed off Brigadier at Parris Island." Gibbs fingered the mug in his hands and chuckled a little. He didn't imagine Marshall was going to very pleased at all, especially considering how much Gibbs had stirred things up talking to Riley's platoon. A few inopportune visits from Tony and himself had brought out the whole riveting tale. The newly named Marines had been more than willing to oust Adams, especially after Gibbs had promised them whistleblower protection. Marshall probably was going to bust his chops about that too.

"I'll forward Riley's file to the SecNav; it should set his mind at ease and get him off my case about Riley being UA. Marshall can handle Adams who isn't our problem, thank God. We have to call Riley's mother and Child services. He'll need an adult representative with him in order for us to question him further. Can he do it, Jethro?"

Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face. "I dunno. He's barely holding together as it is. Adams did a number on him and before that, his father did. He's not in a good place emotionally. I don't know how much more he's gonna take before he completely shuts down."

"Think Marshall will help?"

"When he sees that file, I know he will. The thing is that before he goes to bat for Riley, he's gonna want to meet the kid and talk to him himself. I don't know if Riley can take that kind of pressure. As you said, Adams is a good SDI with an exemplary record. There's no way Parris Island is going to risk losing a man like Adams without one helluva good reason. Marshall is a good guy but he doesn't pull any punches."

"Think you can prepare him for that kind of questioning?"

Gibbs groaned. He knew he could. He just didn't want to push the kid to the brink. Riley was barely holding together as it was and if Gibbs got tough, Riley might topple over it. It was more important to keep the kid's trust then it was to break him. The kid needed adults he could trust not more adults to hurt him.

"It can't be me, Jenn. Riley needs to trust someone. He needs to know that he can count on someone to have his back. I want to be that person."

"Why?" Jenn scrutinized him sharply. "Why do you care so much about this kid? You don't need to feel compelled to save him."

Gibbs furrowed his brow and returned Jenn's glare. _Why was he so damned determined to save Riley? He'd felt drawn to the kid since the first day he set eyes on him, same with Makayla and he couldn't explain why. It just was what it was._

Gibbs phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, holding it up so Jenn could see. She sighed and nodded her head, indicating that he should take the call.

He glanced at the number to see it was McGee. "Yah, Gibbs."

"Boss, have you seen Abby today?"

"Yep, she should be in her lab, McGee."

"She's not. No one has seen her this morning, and when I went her lab, she posted a note saying she's out of the office today."

Gibbs clenched his jaw and mumbled more to himself than to McGee. "I'm going to throttle her."

"Boss?" said McGee, his voice sounded confused.

"McGee, can you track Abby's cell?"

"Sure, but why?"

Gibbs stood to his feet and headed toward the door. "Just do it, McGee." He closed his phone and turned to look at Jenny but she waved his words away.

"Go deal with Abby. I've got this for now."


	40. Chapter 40

_**Thanks for the wonderful reviews and encouragement to keep writing.**_

 _ **This is just a little fluff chapter...the character, Marshall, belongs to 90TheGeneral09...you can read more about him in this story "The Cadet". I'm just borrowing him because it works well with my timeline :) (I hope I did him justice in this chapter...writing another person's OC is daunting.)**_

 _ **Happy January 900th ...the longest, coldest, and snowiest month! How many more days until spring?**_

 _ **Happy Reading :)**_

 _ **Love Jenny Wrens**_

The paperwork in front of him seemed to breed like dust bunnies since he last looked at it. He'd been so out of sorts as of late that it felt difficult to get back into a routine. It didn't help that his Goth girl was sitting beside him boring holes into his head. Gibbs knew that Abby was upset with him for having McGee track her and drag her back to NCIS. He probably should have let her cool off in her lab but his first thought was putting her in time out. She wasn't a field agent and he despised it when she went off on her own. If it had been anyone else on his team, he would have smacked them into the middle of next week, but he didn't do that to Abby. Abby was different. She boasted to everyone that she was his favourite and Gibbs' probably couldn't deny it at times. He'd felt a special bond with her since the first day he met her. The trouble was she seemed to use that affection to take advantage of him. That he didn't like even a little. Abby rather enjoyed watching him smack Tony, and less often McGee and Ziva, from a distance and calling it his signature move, even employing it for her own good use once and a while.

Gibbs chanced a glance at Abby and had to bite back a smirk as she continued to glare at him with her arms crossed. Abby was really irritated with him. If he wasn't so equally annoyed by her, he might have found it as endearing as Janessa when she was upset with him.

"Boss, what should I tell Ducky about the evidence he sent to the lab?" McGee, covering the mouthpiece of his phone, looked sheepishly at Abby before continuing. "Uh, Abby isn't in her lab to sign for it."

Gibbs raised a brow, looking towards Abby.

"Don't look at me!' she snapped. "You're the one who's wasting everyone's time making me sit here."

Gibbs adjusted his reading glasses, ignoring Abby's outburst and looked back at his paperwork. "Send it to Forbes."

McGee's eyes widened as Abby's cheeks puffed out in rage. "Boss?"

"You heard me, McGee."

McGee proceeded to tell Ducky over the phone to send the evidence to another forensic scientist from another team. Things were slow so Gibbs knew it wouldn't be an issue. Other than the one case his team was working, NCIS was surprising and pleasantly slow, so much so that most teams were working on cold cases and enjoying the break to catch up on paperwork. Minutes later McGee stood to his feet and walked with a slight limp towards the water cooler across the room.

"What's a matter with your leg, McGee?"

McGee's face reddened and Gibbs saw him exchange a look with Abby before sitting back down at his desk.

"Nothing, Boss, just a little stiff this morning. I musta overdid it at the gym."

Gibbs turned a disapproving towards Abby, and she had the good sense to drop her chin guiltily. Gibbs shook his head envisioning quite a scuffle between his Goth girl and his agent in order to get her to comply. Abby wasn't a pushover in any sense of the word, and she had a difficult time bending her will to anyone, most especially McGee.

The familiar _bing_ of the elevator rang in the back of his head as he forced himself to get back to work, continuing to ignore Abby a little longer. He only succeeded for a few seconds before he recognized the energetic voice of the youngest daughter ringing in his ears. With a quick glance to his watch, he realized with a groan that he had forgotten to get Janessa for lunch. He'd promised her that he would let her eat with him today. They had both made a point to make a special bagged lunch just for the occasion.

Looking up, the small blonde pixie came skipping around the corner and right up to his desk. She scowled at him while placing her hands on her hips.

"You forgots about me," she lectured disapprovingly.

Gibbs stood up and looked over the cubicle to see who had delivered his cherub. He frowned when he didn't see anyone with her.

"Forgot," he corrected, realizing he needed to spend a little more time fixing her wording before she began school in January. "And who signed you out?" He turned his chair sideways and opened his arms, bidding her to come to him.

Janessa rushed into his arms and hugged him, planting a kiss on his cheek. Then when she noticed Abby, she rushed to Abby as well and pulled herself up onto the Goth's lap with a happy giggle.

"Are you gonna eat with us too, Abby?"

Abby hugged the little girl close. "I didn't bring my lunch today, Nessie."

"That's alright. We made a HUGE," Janessa spread her arms wide, "lunch today cuz me and daddy gets really hungry. You can share some of my sandwiches. I gots a peanut butter and banana one." Janessa slid off her knee when she spied the lunch cooler behind Gibbs' desk. She quickly opened it and fished out her sandwich. Opening it, she offered half her sandwich to Abby. Gibbs helped the little girl situate herself on a little stool he'd stashed away on his shelf for such an occasion.

"You didn't answer my question, Ness. Who signed you out of daycare?"

Janessa took a large bite of her sandwich. "Towe." She managed to say through the thick mouthful of peanut butter trapping her teeth and lips.

"Finish chewing please before you answer me. Where is Tony now?"

Janessa made a dramatic display of chewing her food until she swallowed. "He was talking to a lady so I gots on the alligator by myself."

Almost as if on cue, the elevator opened and Tony rushed into the bullpen only to look very relieved when he saw Janessa eating her sandwich beside Gibbs.

"Lose something, DiNozzo?" Gibbs hit him with a hard look.

"Sorry, Boss. _YOU_ , little monster," he pointed at Janessa, "should have waited for me."

Gibbs cupped the little girl's face in his hand sternly. "Next time, you wait for Tony to escort you to the bullpen, understand?"

Janessa's eyes widened a little and she nodded. "Sorwy," came her peanut buttery reply as she quickly bit into her sandwich again.

"Thanks for remembering to grab her for me, Tony."

Tony smiled. "No problemo." He winked at Janessa and wandered over to his desk.

"DiNozzo, heard from Ziva?"

Tony sat at his desk. "Riley's been detained awhile longer for one last psychiatric assessment, but she doesn't think it should take much longer."

Gibbs frowned. "What kind of assessment?"

"Ziva didn't say, but she didn't sound concerned so I'm assuming it's a routine thing before being released. Has his mother been notified yet?

McGee stood up to grab his own lunch. "Mrs. Janssen should arrive within a day or two. She needed to make some provisions for her business."

"I hope you were cryptic, McGee."

"I did my best, Boss. She was somewhat distressed when I mentioned we had Riley in custody at NCIS. I assured her that he wasn't under arrest or anything like that but that we required her immediate presence."

"Is Riley Aimee's friend, daddy?" piped up Janessa whose big ears were perked up to the conversation.

"Yep. He's coming to NCIS, so we can help him just like he helped Aimee."

"That's good. Aimee says she likes him a lot."

"How's the sandwich?"

Janessa took another large bite and smiled, giving a thumbs up.

Gibbs smirked and messed up her hair playfully, and then he took another look at his Goth girl who was being uncharacteristically quiet. Abby chewed slowly on the sandwich that Janessa had shared with her, but Gibbs knew she was still simmering in her anger with him. They'd have to duke it out eventually before he got any peace for the day.

Gibbs rose to his feet. "DiNozzo, can I trust you not to lose Janessa for an hour while Abby and I have a little chat?"

"Sure, Boss. C'mere, Monster, you got anything good in your lunch?"

Janessa picked up the cooler and carried it over to Tony's desk. "Papa Jack made some chocolate chip cookies. Want one?"

Gibbs headed towards the elevator stopping to grab a cookie and apple out of the cooler. He looked towards Abby and nodded his head in the direction of the lift then walked away.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs arrived at Abby's lab and ripped the "gone for the day" sign off her door. Using his key, he let himself into her lab and walked into her office. He figured she'd take her sweet time getting there so it would give him some time to make a much-needed phone call. His gut churned a little as he dialled knowing that the person on the other end would have some choice words for him. A pleasant but official voice greeted him and Gibbs explained the nature of his call only to be placed on hold to see if it would be accepted. Gibbs half expected it would not.

"Marshall," said a gruff voice. Gibbs grimaced, hearing the justifiable ire in man's voice.

"We need to talk," was all Gibbs said.

There was a brief silence before the expected surging Tsunami hit. Gibbs listened and waited patiently for the man to blast him thoroughly and completely. Gibbs had known Marshall wasn't going to be exactly pleasant when he discovered Gibbs had been nosing around Parris Island, questioning Riley's platoon. It wasn't a surprise nor was it undeserved so he didn't interrupt. After several minutes, however, the General fell silent.

"I thought NCIS would be the best place for you to meet Riley. I know you'll want to ask him some questions with a JAG lawyer present."

"Doesn't matter, Janssen isn't our problem anymore; he's yours," Marshall groused, his irritation still coming across strong.

"Think this will affect him enlisting when he's of age?"

Marshall was silent again. Gibbs wasn't sure what the man was thinking, but it hadn't been the first time Gibbs had rendered the man speechless where Riley was concerned.

"From what I heard, Gunny, the kid should already have his EGA and be at SOI with his fellow Marines; he damned well better re-enlist when he's of age." Gibbs smiled thinking that if he had anything to do with it, Riley would enlist again. Hell, Gibbs planned to be there when the kid received his EGA.

"How's he holding up, Gibbs?"

Gibbs sighed but remained quiet allowing his silence to speak for him. He knew Marshall would be able to read so much more from his sigh than any words he could say.

"You stirred up a veritable hornet's nest, you know that, Gunny? Adams isn't going to know what hit him by the time I'm through."

Gibbs was counting on that. He hoped Marshall nailed the bastard to the wall. The Marines needed good men not broken kids. Adams' kind of training wasn't needed and never was.

"The kid's expected to arrive here this afternoon. What's on your docket?"

Gibbs could hear some shuffling of papers and waited patiently for the General to clear his schedule. If Gibbs knew the man the way he thought he did, Marshall would want to put all this behind him as soon as possible. The heat was probably close to unbearable at Parris Island. The military hated scrutiny and the sooner it was dealt with the better. A story like Riley's would not look favourably on them and Adam's abuse would only serve to worry parents of future recruits. It was bad press all around.

"I'll be in touch," the man said and ended the call.

Gibbs smirked. Marshall and he were similar in their communication styles, short, to the point and never wasted any words.

As he dropped his cell phone into his jacket pocket, he caught sight of Abby entering her lab. She glanced in his direction but proceeded to her computer and pretended to work. He leaned his head onto his hand and watched her, partly in annoyance and partly in amusement. Abby was an interesting woman, and yes, he did acknowledge that she was a grown woman, despite what Jenny thought. Jenn always accused him of treating Abby like a child. He admitted sometimes he could be overprotective. Most would think his affection for the Goth was inappropriate, but to him, it was purely paternal love that he felt for her. Abby drank up every bit of it too. With both her parents passed away and being so far from her extended family, it made Abby alone and vulnerable. It had just been natural for Gibbs to tuck her under his wing.

He rose to his feet and wandered out to Abby. "I'm the one who should be irritated, Abbs, not you."

Abby narrowed her eyes and scowled but didn't look at him.

"I said no and I meant no."

Abby turned her glare onto him. "You didn't listen."

"I didn't need to. You're not a field agent."

"I know that Gibbs, and I never said I was going out into the field now did I? Of course, you would have known that if you had listened to my request but you didn't."

"Abbs, you belong in your lab."

Abby huffed and turned back to her computers. "Fine, whatever."

Gibbs sighed and took her by the arm gently so she was facing him. "Keep up this attitude with me and I'll write you up. You don't leave NCIS on a work day without a signed form and you know it. You broke the rules, Abby."

Abby pulled away and reached into her pocket, handing him a form. "I have a signed form."

Gibbs took it and looked to see Tony's signature. He felt his annoyance grow.

"I don't need your signature; any SFA's signature will do," she said, smugly.

"Abby!"

She glared at him. "Tony listened. You didn't."

Gibbs crumpled up the paper feeling manipulated in much the same way as he had when his daughter used to go to Shannon after he'd told her no. It felt a little like déjà vu. He felt his palms grow itchy so he clenched his hands together to ease the feeling a little.

"What was so all-fired important that you would ignore me and go to Tony?"

Abby shook her head. "I will send my report to Tony."

"Abigail!" This time he was exasperated.

She looked at him with a deadpan expression. "Will there be anything else I can help you with today, Gibbs?"

"Yes, you can go sit your ass down in your office right now!" Abby's eyes widened a little when Gibbs raised his voice at her. He didn't do it often but when he did, he meant business. She stood staring at him, almost like she was debating arguing but then quite literally stomped to her office and sat down.

Gibbs followed, closing the soundproof doors behind him. His hands found his hips as he walked up and stared menacingly down at her.

"Okay, so make no mistake here. This is me, Gibbs, speaking, not Agent Gibbs. This is totally and completely off the record…just one pissed off dad talking to his daughter. Catching my drift here?"

Abby swallowed, looking a bit more remorseful.

"What the hell is going on with you? Since when did my 'no' become a subject for debate?"

Abby chewed her bottom lip. "It hasn't, Gibbs."

Gibbs lifted a brow. "Oh, really? Then it wasn't you who went off on her own after I said no?"

Abby squirmed but remained quiet.

"You know damned well that I'm within my rights to write you up for insubordination. But you think I wouldn't do that and you're probably right; however, that doesn't mean I'm not perfectly okay with dealing with you _another way_ off the record." He narrowed his eyes menacingly.

Abby worried her bottom lip further until Gibbs couldn't take it any longer and gently released it from her teeth.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs."

Gibbs softened. "What's eating at you?"

"Why didn't you listen to me, Gibbs?"

Gibbs sat on the edge of her desk. "Because I don't feel like you need to be out traipsing around when I have perfectly good field agents for that. Why couldn't McGee go research your hunch? Why did it need to be you?"

She shrugged. "Maybe it's because everyone else is so preoccupied…"

Gibbs understood. "Everyone meaning me."

Abby lowered her head but didn't deny it.

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face. In some respects, Abby was right on the money. The last couple of months, everyone had been preoccupied with the girls, David Brody and now Riley. But, really, nothing changed at NCIS; there was always something that kept them preoccupied and often it was personal for one or all of them. But Gibbs knew he'd been so preoccupied that he hadn't spent much time with Abby at all. He knew she understood but now that things were dying down, Abby was making herself known.

"Abby, what can I say? It's not the first time and it won't be the last. That doesn't change the fact that you can't go over my head or beside my head or whatever you want to call to get your own way. This is what I have an issue with right now."

"Okay, okay, you're right. I was mad you weren't even listening to me. Usually, you at least have the courtesy to listen."

Gibbs took her by the shoulders and shook her light-heartedly. "Don't take out your anger on me by risking your job because next time, you just might be written up and not by me; could be Jenn who catches you next time. Is that what you want?" Aby shook her head." Yah, I didn't think so. If you're mad at me, tell me or send hate mail like everyone else does."

Abby frowned and looked up at him in concern. "People send you hate mail? Gibbs! That's terrible!"

Gibbs chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Am I forgiven?" asked Abby, looking a little worried.

Gibbs kissed her again. "Always, but next time don't be surprised if you find yourself on the receiving end of your own customized Gibbs' slap."

Abby stood to her feet, looking at him with adoration once more. "You wouldn't."

Gibbs narrowed his eye at her. She was probably right. He couldn't see himself ever really smacking her, but he'd _never_ say never. It wasn't the first time he'd been tempted to pull her over his knee. "Whatever helps you sleep at night," he threatened.

Abby considered it a moment and then launched herself into his arms. Gibbs pulled her into a tight embrace. He knew he needed to learn to better balance spending time with his older girls and with his younger girls. While Ziva wasn't prone to attention seeking behaviour, Abby most certainly was. He was beginning to think the whole morning had just been about that. Abby's way of seeking some one-on-one attention from him.

"What are you doing Sunday afternoon, Abbs?"

Abby pulled away and cocked her head to look at him suspiciously. "Nothing, why?"

"I sure could use some help sanding…" Abby grimaced which made Gibbs laugh. "Kidding. I'm kidding. Will you take me bowling?"

Abby's face brightened up. "Really?"

Gibbs nodded. "I took Aimee once and she beat me. It was humiliating. I need some tips for next time."

Abby hugged him again. Gibbs kissed the top of her head. Maybe things would be okay in Abby-land for a while if he just remembered to make time for her too.

"So, Gibbs, I had this brilliant thought last night…" began Abby as she proceeded to drag him out to her main computer. Gibbs followed his Goth sunshine girl out to the computer shaking his head.


	41. Chapter 41

_**Hi EVERYONE!**_

 _ **I see sunshine today! It's +5 and so windy, it knocked my poor toddler on her butt on the way to the car this morning. And icy? Oh my goodness! I slipped and did the splits for the first time in 15 years. I'm telling you, my body doesn't work like that anymore!**_

 _ **Anyone else enjoying this wonderful winter as much as I am?**_

 _ **I've been trying to bring this story to a close but it seems like my characters have more story to tell...so poor Gibbs is not quite finished yet.**_

 _ **After this story, I may take a hiatus from writing fanfiction to focus on editing my original novel.**_

 _ **I love all your reviews and your thoughts...they make me smile!**_

 _ **Have a fantastic day and enjoy!**_

 _ **(If you enjoy reading about Josh Marshall ...be sure to read "The Cadet" by 90TheGeneral09 - his depiction of life in military school is both realistic and interesting...just a warning that the language is a bit more gritty.)**_

Riley restlessly tapped his fingers on the table, anxiously looking up at Gibbs. Gibbs noted that he looked better rested than he'd looked in a long time. Some decent nights of sleep, along with some nutritious meals had put some pink in his cheeks again and it was good to see. Gibbs gave Riley a reassuring look which made the teenager offer him a small smile in return. The kid seemed to trust him and that was what Gibbs had been aiming for. Every kid needed to know he had someone in his corner and Gibbs was alright with being that for Riley. The conference room wasn't the most ideal place to question Riley but it was the best Gibbs had at NCIS. Riley would remain in NCIS custody until they got his statement regarding Adams and what went down at the crucible. Since Riley was a minor, his guardian, in his case his mother, would need to decide if she was going to press charges against Adams. Regardless of whether she did or not, Adams would still stand accountable for his misdeeds. Too many recruits had spoken out this time for it to be brushed under the rug.

"Nervous?" asked Gibbs, handing the kid a mug of hot chocolate. Warm beverages always seemed to relax Gibbs so he figured he'd try it with Riley.

Riley accepted the mug and set it on the table with a shrug as he looked at the woman in the room. "Why's she here?"

The robust, dark-haired woman smiled at Riley kindly. It wasn't the first time NCIS had to question minors and Belinda Fairhaven was the one Gibbs trusted the most. "I'm here to make sure Agent Gibbs behaves himself."

Gibbs laughed and winked at Riley. "She can be awfully mean to me."

Belinda laughed, "Only when you deserve it, Agent Gibbs."

A smile pulled at the corner of Riley's lips but then he stiffened and stood to walk to the window, opening the blinds so he could look out. He remained stiff and silent as he did. Gibbs offered a coffee to Belinda and sat down at the table, keeping an eye on Riley. Gibbs knew that Riley wasn't happy about anything that was happening. He was still denying his age and feeling very vulnerable.

"Sit down, Riley. I want to explain a few things…"

"I'd rather stand," said Riley as he turned and sent a pleading look in Gibbs direction.

Gibbs nodded. Riley was used to being his own man, and Gibbs was okay with giving the teenager his autonomy. "In a few minutes, an agent is going to come in and ask you some questions. Mrs. Fairhaven is here as your guardian until your mother arrives. If you don't wish to answer the question or cannot, just let her know. She will speak on your behalf. Understand?"

"Why are you here?"

"That's a fair question. I'm here because I want you to feel safe. You've known me a little longer so I thought my presence would help you feel more comfortable. If you don't think that's true, I can leave."

Riley's eyes widened a little, looking on the verge of panic. "N-no, uh, please stay Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded.

"What kind of questions?"

"Well, he will ask questions about your background, about your parents, specifically your father. Also, he may ask you questions about enlisting in the Marines. All you need to remember is to answer honestly. Tell him the truth as you know it."

"What about my DI?"

"The agent will not ask you anything about your drill instructor."

"Are you sure?"

Gibbs nodded. "Positive," he assured. The discussion regarding Adams would take place another day and with General Marshall personally. It was something that Gibbs needed to prepare Riley for but not now and not today. Josh Marshall was sympathetic to Riley's plight but he was still pissed off a kid snuck his way into basic training and messed with the status quo. Parris Island was going to be suffering for a while, and Gibbs couldn't help but think that Marshall was going to be placing a huge chunk of the blame on the kid.

Just then a knock was heard at the door. Gibbs rose to his feet and opened the door to the conference room. He hadn't known who Jenny would assign to question Riley and was surprised to see McGee standing in front of him. McGee looked uncertain as he waited on Gibbs to say something.

"McGee."

"Director Shepard sent a message." McGee handed Gibbs a piece of paper and stood aside as another agent walked up. Gibbs looked up to see Micah Stevens step forward. Micah worked for another MCRT team and was known to be a hard-nosed agent. He wouldn't have been Gibbs' first choice.

"Stevens."

The man acknowledged Gibbs with a brief smile. "Are we ready to begin, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs nodded but then looked to McGee. "His mother arrive yet?"

"Not yet, Boss, but I will let you know as soon as she does."

Gibbs nodded his approval and McGee walked away. He glanced at the paper quickly to see it regarded Makayla but didn't allow the contents to sink in. Gibbs stuffed the note in his breast pocket so he'd remember to read and respond to it later. It wasn't directly regarding related to the business at hand, so it would need to wait. Gibbs noticed Riley stiffen when the other agent reached out a hand to shake his. Riley hesitated for several moments, debating whether to extend his hand or not but then did. Stevens gave a firm handshake and ushered Riley to sit down.

"I'd prefer to stand," replied Riley, firmly.

Agent Stevens blinked as if surprised by the response but then sat down. Gibbs walked across the room and leaned on the wall adjacent to Riley. If the boy felt safer standing at a distance, that should be his right.

"Okay, then. Let's get started, shall we?" Stevens opened the folder he'd brought with him. "Riley, you're 16 years old. Is that correct?"

Riley looked at Gibbs a moment. "No, sir. I am 18."

"Riley," said Gibbs softly. "Remember I said you that you need to tell the truth. No one here is going to give you any trouble or lecture you about choices made. We just need to get to the truth so we can help you."

Riley turned his back to them and looked out the window once again.

"How about this then," suggested Stevens, "I will tell you what we think we know about you and you can correct me if I say anything that is incorrect."

Gibbs nodded his approval. Maybe Stevens was a good choice after all. Diplomacy was definitely what was needed with Riley.

Riley kept his back to them.

"Riley, are you okay with Agent Stevens doing that?" asked Mrs. Fairhaven, looking concerned with Riley's behaviour. Riley didn't acknowledge them. "We need you to answer, Riley, either by saying or nodding yes or no."

Riley shrugged.

Gibbs, Stevens and Belinda looked at one another as they waited, silent messages being exchanged between them. None of them wanted this to become explosive or out of control. They had all been briefed on Riley's mental stability at the moment.

"Riley?" prompted Gibbs.

Riley turned around and threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "It's not my fault!"

"What's not your fault, Riley?" asked Belinda.

Riley's chest was heaving and Gibbs could see that he was already beginning to panic.

"My dad was in Serbia during the Kosovo war. He told me and Ryan to take care of my mom. We always did. Ryan got in with a rough crowd of guys at school and my mom didn't know about it. He made me swear not to tell her. Ryan was cool, so I didn't. They went to check out this dam and they weren't supposed to go near it. The water was always so damned high in the spring. The stupid thing burst and they all died." Riley choked back a sob and his hands shook as he wiped at his eyes.

Gibbs held his breath. They didn't have any details on how Ryan Janssen died. They only knew he'd died in 1999.

"Oh, Riley," said Belinda, warmly. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"I didn't want him to get in trouble." Riley's eyes were pleading for understanding.

"Makes sense, Riley," said Gibbs. "No one wants to be a tattletale."

"How old were you?" asked Stevens, jotting down notes in his file.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. Riley was lost in the memory and wasn't going to respond to questions.

"Ryan died. He's dead." Riley said the words in a hollow voice with tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Riley. You must miss him," said Belinda sympathetically.

Riley nodded. "My dad couldn't get home right away because he was on active duty. Eventually, he got home and all hell broke loose. He said it was my fault because I should have told someone where Ryan was going. Keeping my mouth shut is the same as lying, he said. My dad started drinking a lot after that, and we moved around because of him being in the Corps. He kept getting in trouble with his commanding officer. My dad said the guy hated him and would call him out on every little thing. I guess it made my dad even madder and he started taking it out on my mom by smacking her around and then he got arrested. I don't know how it happened exactly but one day he came home and said they kicked him out of the Marines. After that, everything went to shit."

"Did your dad hit you too, Riley?" asked Stevens, not looking at Riley but continuing to take notes.

Riley cleared his throat and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Gibbs grabbed some tissue and set it on the window sill in front of Riley. Riley looked at Gibbs for a moment but then continued staring out the window.

"Do you need to take a break?" asked the social worker.

Riley shook his head. He reached out and put a hand on the window. "How many floors up would you say we are, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs walked towards Riley and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, gazing out over the scene out the window.

"4 stories."

"So this building is what? 50 or 60 feet tall?"

"Give or take," said Gibbs.

Riley put his other hand on the window and attempted to peer downward. "Ryan fell about 50 feet that day."

Gibbs didn't reply but planted his hand on Riley's shoulder. He knew what it was like to lose someone he loved. Sometimes there just weren't words to make things better. Gibbs felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and as discreetly as possible, he glanced at who was calling him. He recognized the number to belong to Makayla's phone.

"I need to take this, Riley. You okay if I step out for a minute?"

Riley's eyes widened in what looked like a mixture of fear and panic.

"It's Makayla," offered Gibbs, feeling a little torn about leaving.

The mention of Makayla's name seemed to appease Riley a little and he nodded his permission. Gibbs identified with Riley's ability to put others needs before his own. Riley was first and foremost a gentleman. Not always good but admirable all the same. Gibbs tossed Belinda a troubled look as he walked out of the conference room. He was hoping Agent Stevens wouldn't start heading in another direction while he was gone. He trusted that Belinda could head off anything too unruly but he wasn't sure how Riley was going to handle things if it got too intense.

Gibbs answered. "Yah, Gibbs."

He was greeted by silence and some faint sniffling in the far distance. Gibbs clutched the phone tightly in his fist. His gut was beginning to churn in anticipation of the worst.

"Mak? You ok?"

"T-they kicked me out, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs frowned in confusion. "Who kicked you out?"

"T-the school."

"Why?" What could Mak have done to warrant such drastic action?

"Aunt Jenny is going to kill me and so are my parents. I need to go."

Foreboding crept up his neck. "No, you need to tell me where you are so I can come get you."

"I-I can't take it anymore." Makayla dissolved into sobs. His heart ached for her as he listened to her weep and gasp for breath.

"Awe, Mackie…" he said softly, feeling at a loss for words. She didn't need his condemnation at the moment. It didn't make sense. What could Makayla have done to get her kicked out of school? Her timing could not have been worse. How many different directions could he be torn? He leaned against the door, hoping that things inside the room were still under control. He couldn't shake the haunted look in Riley's eyes.

"I-I don't k-know what to do. I-I-I," she tried to explain.

"Tell me where you are, Mackie."

Makayla sniffled and hiccupped at the same time. Gibbs could hear her trying to calm herself down. He knew she was a smart kid and her wheels were be churning to try and make sense of her situation.

"Mak?"

"I ch-cheated, Agent Gibbs. I knew I would get caught but I didn't care…but when I got caught…I did care," Makayla's voice sounded distant like she wasn't holding her phone to her mouth.

Gibbs sighed as he digested the information. He'd had a hunch that things would get worst with Makayla before they'd get better. Too much had happened and Makayla suddenly acting compliant was more a cause for concern than anything else. As much as she was a good kid, compliance had been her mantra for a little too long. You could only expect a kid to go with the flow for so long before exploding. Makayla had toed the line too long.

"Where are you?"

She sniffled again. "Are you mad?"

"Depends on why you did it." Gibbs shook his head in annoyance. Why did he say that? Why couldn't he have just said he wasn't mad? The thing was Gibbs knew she would know if he was being anything less than authentic. He wouldn't win either way.

Makayla was silent on the other end of the line.

"Mak?"

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs. I let you down. I-I tried…"

Gibbs felt his heart rate pick up again. That tone of defeat in her voice told him she was going to run again. She felt like she had nothing left to lose now. She'd already been grounded by her aunt. Jenny threatened to board her at the school or call her parents. The worst scenarios were playing out in Makayla's head. There were no options. Gibbs pinched his nose feeling equally desperate. He couldn't have the 14-year-old girl traipsing off somewhere on her own.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself. "Makayla, listen to me, you didn't let me down, okay? Where are you? I promise to help you figure this out."

"Y-you can't. No one can."

Gibbs felt his frustration level skyrocket. Why couldn't he catch a break? When was the universe going to decide this test was over? Every time he turned around he was being pummeled to the ground. How much more would he have to endure?

The sound of a door closing caught his attention and he looked behind him to see McGee walking in the opposite direction, heading towards the MTAC. Gibbs propped his cell phone to his chin with his shoulder and started patting down his pockets to find something—anything—he could use to get the man's attention.

"Mak, listen, you can't take off on your own. It isn't safe! Where are you going to go? Running away just makes things worse. Remember? Everything is a choice. You can make the right one."

Finding his keys, he fired them down the hall, hitting McGee in the back of his legs. McGee spun around to see what hit him and Gibbs motioned to him.

"It's t-too late," she sobbed.

"No, kiddo, it's never too late until you make the wrong choice…"

Gibbs grabbed a pen and a scrap of paper from his pocket and starting scribbling a quick message to McGee. He needed the man to see if he could do a trace of where Makayla was calling him from. McGee looked at the paper and took off running down the hallway.

"I already did that, damn it!" she shouted loudly enough to make him wince and pull the phone from his ear.

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks as he watched McGee disappear into the distance. He needed to keep the teenager on the line long enough to give McGee time to get to MTAC and trace the call. Gibbs figured it would take McGee a couple of minutes. Most cell phones came complete with GPS trackers and even if Makayla's didn't, hers would be a cinch to trace. This is what they did every day.

"Makayla, tell me where you are right now!" he demanded, raising his voice. He was greeted by silence once more. He knew she was listening but he was hedging his bets that a little firmness might go a long way with her. He didn't dare take a wager though. It felt like everything he said or did with her was precarious. "You promised me you wouldn't run away again. Are you going back on that promise now?" _Damn it, you know how much it pisses me off, he growled_ in his own mind but thankfully had the presence of mind not to say out loud. He was still met with silence so loud it deafened him but she was listening, hiccupping, and sniffling. Makayla was thinking and for better or for worse, he was glad it was taking time. He needed it and was stalling for it. "You can make the right choice, sweetheart," he softened his voice, making it less sharp and more placating. "Whatever happened at school isn't the end of the world. Let me help! You called me for a reason, Mak, and it wasn't to tell me you're running away. If that were true, you would have just left."

She gasped for breath. "I'm hanging up now."

Gibbs' heart pounded in his chest. _Not yet, kid, he thought. We need a few more minutes._

"Mak, wait!" he said, switching tactics, appealing to her sense of kindness and honour. She wouldn't want to worry them if she didn't need to. "Just tell me where you're planning to go. After everything with Aimee, I just need to know you'll be okay. Please." Who was he kidding? He didn't even sound like himself now. Gibbs didn't plead with people.

"I-I can't tell you that."

"Mackie, think about your Aunt Jenn and your parents. I'm telling you that it was killing me a little every day when I didn't know where Aimee was or if she was even alive. What if it was Janessa who was running away? How would you feel if you didn't have any idea where she was or if she was even safe?" It was a long shot but he knew that Makayla had grown fond of his little sea urchin. It was hard not too because she was so stinking adorable.

Makayla sniffled again and Gibbs envisioned the girl having waves of tears streaming down her cheeks. The girl was allowing the weight of something that felt huge to her cloud her better judgement. Calling Gibbs was her one last ditch effort for clarity.

"I wouldn't like it."

"Yah, I know you wouldn't. You taking off is going to hurt Janessa too and she's already been through so much already. Do you want to add to it?" He sounded desperate now.

More sobs.

"Will you let me come get you?"

"It's too l-late, Agent G-Gibbs!"

"Awe, honey, it's never too late to come home," he assured her.

"I j-just can't," came one last reply and then the phone went dead.

Gibbs closed his eyes, pleading with whoever was in charge of the universe to keep Makayla safe until he could get to her. Looking down he glimpsed the paper he'd scrawled a message on to McGee. It was the note from Jenny that McGee had given him earlier. This time he read it allowing the words to sink in.

 _Jethro,_

 _Makayla was expelled. I'm heading to her school to see what I can ascertain about the situation. Keep me abreast of things with Riley._

 _Jenn_

Gibbs shoved the paper back in his pocket. He should have taken the time to read the note. He might have been better prepared for Makayla's phone call.

Gibbs' cell phone rang. "Gibbs."

"Boss." It was McGee. "I got her."

Gibbs heaved a sigh of relief as he headed towards MTAC. He'd grab the coordinates and head out as quickly as he could to get Makayla. "Can you keep a trace on it, McGee?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'm on my way." Gibbs ended one call to begin another. He needed Tony to stand by for Riley in case anything went sour. The teenager would need a familiar face; someone he knew was in his corner. Tony and Riley had forged a friendship as well.

A sharp piercing scream made him freeze in his tracks. He spun on his heel, eyes wide and his heart thumping hard. The door ahead of him burst open and Belinda poked her head out, looking frantic.

"Agent Gibbs!"


	42. Chapter 42

_**Because it was written and I felt bad about the cliffhanger...**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

Makayla clutched her cell phone in her hand for several moments after she hung up. Sobs racked her small frame as she worked hard to gain control of herself. She thought that hearing Gibbs' voice would give her strength and courage to keep moving but instead, it had rattled her. When she'd made up her mind of what to do earlier that day, she never wagered that she would change her mind and regret her decision. She thought she was steadfast in her plans. Now she was just terrified that she's messed up so badly there was no coming back from it. Her parents would quite literally be gobsmacked. Getting expelled from DC's best prep school was…well, it was historical. It just didn't happen. Kids who attended the school were as driven as their parents to succeed. If your family managed to get you in, you were basically taken care of for the rest of your life, virtually guaranteed a spot in the world's most renowned and prestigious colleges and universities and then the top companies recruited you. Quite simply, the world was your oyster.

The auburn haired girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand, trying hard not to take Gibbs words too much to heart. Gibbs meant well and he wanted to help. Makayla knew it and she feared it. She couldn't let him or anyone else find her. Gibbs would skin her alive with her aunt cheering him on from the sidelines, and all that would happen before she'd be sent lock, stock and barrel to some boarding school in Switzerland by her disappointed parents. Being a Wallace child left a lot to be desired. It was too much pressure to be perfect.

Determined to shake off the morning and all the drama that went with it, Makayla stood up and brushed off her jeans. She'd already shed her uniform and left behind everything remotely related to that part of her life. Now she just needed to let go of one last thing. She looked at her cell phone glumly. It was the last part that could lead them to her. Her call to Gibbs had been her way of saying goodbye…her last phone call, so to speak. She'd have to learn to live without it. She flipped the phone over and pulled the battery. Being around NCIS had taught her a thing or two and she'd paid attention...some of the time. A part of her was worried about having called Gibbs because she figured he could probably find where she was just by her cell position. She was counting on it taking a while...or so she'd seen in movies.

Makayla dropped the phone and battery on the ground where she crouched. She poked her head out from behind the building she was cowering behind and looked up towards the top floor. Her jaw dropped as she stood to her feet, suddenly forgetting where she was.

"Riley?"

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs' hands shook a little as he tried to figure out what had transpired while he'd been out of the room. For the life of him, he couldn't make sense of how the teenager could have broken out the window without being stopped. Riley would have had to climb up on the shelf, thrust open the window and climb out. Surely, Stevens could have stopped him in the amount of time it had taken. His thoughts were silenced when he found Steven's on the floor and wiping the back of his mouth.

"He hit me and went ballistic," Stevens attempted to explain.

Gibbs rushed to the window where the social worker was standing helplessly and found Riley perched precariously on the ledge.

"Riley." He said calmly. Gibbs' heart stopped for a minute when he glanced down. _Are you kidding me?_ he thought when his eyes fell on Makayla. She was standing in the middle of the driveway of the Navy Yard gaping at Riley with her mouth open. For some reason, he heard Abby's voice in his head telling him needed glasses. The irony wasn't lost on him. Gibbs blinked a few times to make sure that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. It wasn't. He was blind as a bat when it came to reading something up close but his distance vision was sharp as a tack. "Riley." He said the boy's name again but the kid didn't look at him. Riley stared straight ahead. He hoped to hell Stevens had picked himself off the floor and alerted someone to what was going on. He didn't dare look back into the room.

"Hey, man, what's going on?" Gibbs made note of the ledge. NCIS seemed to have the widest ledges on a building known to man. Maybe it was because they'd talked one too many soldiers with PSTD off of ledges and didn't want the hassle. Gibbs easily made his way out the window and onto the ledge.

"You can't help."

"I can try." Gibbs looked down focussing on Makayla again. He saw her cover her mouth when he came into view. The girl had a front row seat and she was frozen in suspended animation. He took a deep breath and tried to slow his heart rate. The helplessness he felt in that moment wasn't even remotely describable.

"NO!" Riley lurched forward a little, nearly losing his balance but then slipped down to his butt on the ledge, suspending his legs over.

Gibbs sucked in a frightened breath and then released it slowly. Having Riley sitting was much better than he could have wished for. Hopefully, that meant the boy would talk. He had time. God knew he needed the time.

"Wanna talk about what happened?"

Riley choked back a sob and rested his head against the building. He was just within arm's reach of Gibbs.

"Psst," came a voice.

Gibbs turned to see Tony leaning out the window. He tossed something towards him and Gibbs caught it the first try. Gibbs gratefully affixed the harness around his waist. If he slipped, Tony would catch him.

"I don't want to talk anymore!" Riley continued to stare straight ahead, not noticing Gibbs cinching the harness tightly.

Gibbs moved closer until he was knee to shoulder with Riley and sat down. He held his breath waiting for a reaction from the kid but none came. Riley seemed as frozen as Makayla. Gibbs looked down and saw that the young girl remained motionless with her hand over her mouth.

"Okay, you don't have to talk if you don't want to. Mind if I talk?" Gibbs looked over at Riley and the boy looked up and made eye contact with him. Gibbs could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. Riley was at his wit's end and terrified.

"Did I ever tell you I had a daughter?" Riley was quiet and probably confused so Gibbs went on to explain, "I don't mean Aimee or Janessa. My first child was Kelley. Cutest little thing you ever saw and smart as a whip…kinda reminds me of Makayla." Gibbs looked down to see that Makayla had still not moved. He was hoping for all he was worth that someone would notice her. His money was on McGee. McGee knew she was missing.

"What happened to her?" Riley's strained voice whispered, pulling Gibbs out of his reverie. Riley was listening and that was half the battle.

"She was killed. Her death almost killed me too."

Riley nodded in understanding. Gibbs was banking on that.

"But, Riley, one day I woke up and realized that I was still alive. I still had a purpose and that God wasn't finished with me yet." Gibbs frowned. He wasn't sure where the words had come from. He wasn't exactly what you'd call a religious person. "I don't know how but one day it stopped hurting so much that I could take a breath again so I kept going. I put one foot in front of the other and then another day went by and I survived that too." Gibbs didn't know where he was going with his story but he was willing to rattle on if Riley listened.

"My dad was right, Agent Gibbs. It was my fault." Riley spat out, wringing his hands hard.

Gibbs shook his head. "NO, Riley, your old man is wrong. Ryan's death had nothing to do with you. It happened and it sucks but it wasn't your fault. Life is made up of choices. Ryan made a choice and you have to make one too."

Ryan shook his head. "It's more complicated than that."

"Tell me."

"It's too late."

Gibbs closed his eyes a moment and opened them to see McGee and Ziva beside Makayla. Gibbs felt relief wash over him. One problem solved. They'd keep her safe. He'd kick her butt when he got his hands on her if he could stop hugging her long enough to do it.

"Makayla ran away. That's why she called me."

Riley's face paled. "W-why'd she do a stupid thing like that?" Gibbs found it almost humorous that the boy looked visibly cross about it.

"I dunno. Why don't you ask her? Looks like she didn't get too far." Gibbs pointed down into the Navy Yard that had started to become a bustle of activity. Firetrucks arrived and personnel scurried around below following carefully planned protocol. If Riley slipped, or God forbid jumped, they catch him.

Riley sucked in loudly when he looked down. "Oh, God, what am I doing?"

Gibbs reached out and settled a warm hand on Riley's knee. "It's okay, Riley. It's going to be okay."

"I really messed up, huh?" Riley's lips quaked and his breathing increased. Gibbs could feel him trembling under his hand. The kid was terrified.

"Nah, everything is okay. I can help you, buddy. You can trust me."

Tears escaped down Riley's cheeks as he glanced down at Makayla and the commotion below him.

"You can trust me, Riley. Give me your hand."

Riley nodded and reached out his hand.

"Take it real easy, force your weight to the wall and push yourself up. Okay? You okay?"

Riley did as Gibbs commanded and the two of them were able to rise to their feet. Riley's eyes were wide open and his mouth was gaping as he breathed heavily.

"Look at me, Riley," commanded Gibbs. He didn't want to boy looking down now. He just wanted him to focus on looking at him. "Riley! Look me in the eyes."

Riley obeyed.

"Good. Now give me your hand. Take it real slow."

Riley moved his hand closest to Gibbs and pulled it up until Gibbs had it firmly in his. Gibbs winced at how cold and clammy it was. The kid was pretty far gone. Gibbs could feel the teen's pulse hammering hard against his hand.

"Okay. Now sidestep slowly," he instructed, taking a few shuffling steps back towards the window. "Don't look down!" he admonished when Riley's eyes fell downcast. "Look at me. Just shuffle slowly, feeling your way. Keep your eyes on me, buddy. I've got you. You're safe."

Gibbs shivered as they sidestepped slowly. He didn't dare take his eyes off Riley as the kid bore a hole into his soul. Tears continued to trace a path down Riley's cheeks but he kept shuffling his feet sideway. Gibbs could feel the warmth radiating from the window as he drew closer. He'd forgotten how cold it was standing on the ledge. Thanksgiving was approaching. He thought of how his father would make him host a huge dinner with all the fixings, forcing him to make traditions with the girls. A smile played around the corners of his lips at the thought. Outwardly he was gruff but inwardly, kids made him a marshmallow.

His hand came to the entrance of the window and he gripped the sill hard. He felt a strong hand grasp his arm but he still didn't dare risk a look. They were almost there.

"You're doing great, Riley. We're almost back inside. You cold? It's colder outside than I thought today." He felt Riley's clammy hand slip a little and he fumbled quickly to rectify that. His own hand had become just as damp. Maybe that was why he felt so cold. Quickly readjusting his hold, he slipped his hand past Riley's wrist and secured a better grip there. He kept slowly walking and thinking that it was the longest walk of his life.

"Makayla," Riley managed to sputter out.

Gibbs broke eye contact and looked down. Makayla was running towards them with McGee on her tail. He could vaguely hear her screams as the wind carried it in his direction.

It was then Riley slipped. Gibbs felt his shoulder tear out of its socket by Riley's weight but he didn't let go. He grimaced and tried to keep his balance as he teetered on the edge of the ledge. Within seconds he lost the battle and fell. Time seemed to stop as he gasped for air. He tried to reason with himself in those seconds. He was harnessed. Tony would catch him. He looked down at Riley's horrified face. The pain in his shoulder took his breath away. He braced himself. When he reached the end of his rope, the jolt was going to be agonizing but he wouldn't let go.

Gibbs screamed in excruciating pain when he felt the jolt, expected or not, he nearly passed out. He looked down at Riley who was dangling below him. He had to get the kid to climb up him because there was no way he'd be able to pull him up. His arm was useless.

"Riley! My shoulder's dislocated. You have to climb up," he said through gritted teeth.

Riley looked up at him, in obvious shock from the fall but Gibbs saw him nod. Riley was a trained Marine. He could pull himself up. He felt the kid start to pull himself upward. Gibbs grimaced from the pain and bit down on his lip. He felt his teeth sink into the meaty flesh and he tasted blood.

"Boss, you alright?" Gibbs forced himself to look up and nod at Tony. "Hang on, I'll pull you up."

He felt Tony and whoever else must be helping slowly pull him and Riley upward. As they were hauled up, Riley struggled to climb up Gibbs. The pain was unbearable for several more seconds until Gibbs felt Riley wrap his arms around his waist and release his injured arm. It dangled uselessly at his side.

"Atta boy, Rye, keep climbing," he heard himself say. His arm ached but it was bearable now. He breathed a sigh of relief when Riley's face came into view. Gibbs put his good arm around him and nodded. Several minutes later, Tony pulled them inside.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Gibbs gritted his teeth when his shoulder was iced. Ducky had managed to relocate it with little difficulty. Gibbs wasn't sure what was worse, the relocation or the lecture that came with it. The pain was so bad he nearly passed out. Ducky was adamant that he seek immediate medical care to obtain some anti-inflammatories. Gibbs just wanted him to shut up and back off; he just needed a few minutes to gain his equilibrium and he knew he'd be alright. A dislocated shoulder was the least of his worries.

Gibbs grimaced again as he repositioned himself, trying to get more comfortable. He was too damned old to be hanging off ledges. He wasn't a thrill seeker even on his best day. Gibbs just did what he had to when he had to do it. And now he wished that he could have a stiff drink and a shower, maybe even some shut-eye, but he knew none of those things were even remotely possible just yet. Injured or not, he had things he needed to attend to.

"Painkillers helping at all, Boss?"

Gibbs didn't want to look up. He wasn't in a good frame of mind yet. The extra strength painkillers were taking their sweet time to kick in. The room felt too crowded and he wished everyone would get the hell out.

"I'm fine, DiNozzo,' he groused. He felt defeated at the sound of his own voice. He definitely wasn't in a good frame of mind yet, and that didn't bode well for anyone.

"You should be seen at the hospital, Jethro," repeated Ducky, still stuck on his tirade. "Shoulder dislocations are serious." Ducky secured Gibb's arm in a sling to immobilize it. The older man's touch was gentle as always but his words were not; Ducky's way of showing his dissonance.

Gibbs shook his head. "I'll survive, Duck." His tone said back off, and the silence reverberating in the room afterward told him he better get a grip on himself before he did or said anything he'd regret later.

"ICE it. 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off," said Ducky, his own tone matching Gibbs'.

Gibbs knew Ducky was not impressed by what he saw as Gibbs' pointless stubbornness. Ducky gave him a sharp look of disapproval, gathered his things and left the room without another word. Gibbs had a feeling he would be hearing from Ducky again sooner rather than later if he didn't listen to the man's advice. His old friend had no patience for senseless bravado.

Gibbs lifted his head to see Riley sitting at the table beside Belinda. The kid's face was pale as the social worker spoke in hushed tones to him. He didn't appear injured much to Gibbs relief. It could have been bad. Very bad. Riley kept stealing glances in Gibbs direction, giving him pleading looks. Riley wanted to talk to him as much as Gibbs wanted to talk to Riley.

"How's Mak?" asked Gibbs, looking away and finally clearing his head enough to make companionable conversation. He grimaced as he forced himself to sit a little straighter in the conference room chair.

"She's with the director. She's okay," reassured Tony.

"You sure?" Gibbs had seen the girl's face on briefly before Riley slipped, pure and raw panic flooding her features. Makayla saw Riley's foot slip before either one of them knew it.

Tony nodded. "McGee said she's pretty shaken up…"

"I saw her run towards us. I couldn't make out what she said, but I saw her expression." Gibbs adjusted the ice pack on his shoulder. The pain was beginning to dissipate a little. The painkillers were starting to work and Gibbs was grateful for the reprieve. He could handle the pain but it helped when it didn't make him feel so raw. Gibbs just hoped Jenny was being proactive with Makayla. He couldn't figure out why she was being such a hard-ass with her niece. What was it about Jenn's sister that made Jenn act so oddly? Just a little bit of sympathy and understanding on Jenn's part would go a long way.

Gibbs pulled himself to his feet and turned to face Stevens, who was still present in the room, looking somewhat perplexed and shell-shocked about the events that occurred. The man opened his mouth to explain, but Gibbs raised his hand and waved his words away.

"Not now,' he said simply.

Stevens nodded and took another look in Riley's direction before excusing himself.

"DiNozzo, can you take Belinda and get her a real coffee?"

Belinda looked up upon hearing her name. She exchanged a look with Gibbs for a moment, then rose to her feet with a smile. "I think I'd like that." She looked at Riley. "I'll be back later, and we can talk more if you'd like."

Riley leaned back in his chair and nodded. Belinda looked at him for several seconds before resting her hand on his shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay, Riley."

Tony and Belinda left the room, leaving Gibbs and Riley alone. Gibbs walked over to the mini kitchenette and grabbed a cookie. He didn't know why, but suddenly he felt famished. He held one up towards Riley but the kid shook his head. Gibbs took a large bite and walked across the room, sitting on the edge of the table furthest away from Riley.

"You ok?"

Riley worried his lip and nodded. "I'm sorry about your shoulder."

Gibbs waved it away. "I'm just glad you're okay. Riley, what happened?"

The teenager dropped his head into his hands and shook his head. "Everything just went dark, Agent Gibbs. That guy just kept droning on and on and I just kept thinking about Ryan…" Riley's voice sounded strangled.

Gibbs walked to Riley's side and stooped down. "Hey, it's okay. Riley," Gibbs patted the young man's knee to comfort him. "It's okay not to be okay."

It was the words Gibbs wished someone had said to him when his mom died. It was okay to not be okay because sometimes you weren't okay and pretending you were just made things worse. Riley seemed to take his words to heart because he dissolved into tears. Gibbs went fully to his knees and embraced the teen boy with his good arm.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs listened to Riley talk for several minutes before he risked asking questions. He had much to ask. The boy had taken a while to regain control of his emotions, and Gibbs had been okay with that. His gut just churned with anger over what the kid had gone through in his young life. Riley shared about his brother drowning and his father blaming the whole event on him, about how Roy Janssen ruled with an iron fist and how the family just crumbled to pieces.

"How did the birth dates get mixed up?" Gibbs dared to ask.

Riley bit his lip. Hard. This wasn't something Riley was comfortable discussing. Gibbs could see that.

"I can wager a guess, Rye but I'd feel better if you'd just come clean about it."

"It wasn't like that, Agent Gibbs," Riley finally blurted out. "I didn't set out to trick anyone, not even the marine recruiters. It just got easier to believe it was true, know what I mean?"

Gibbs refilled Riley's cup with water. He wasn't going to cast judgement on the kid. Gibbs knew well enough that he had his own skeletons in the closet. Talking about this was not to judge. His thoughts must have shown in his demeanor because after a minute or two, Riley seemed to relax.

"Okay, so what happened?"

"We moved around so much that I guess our records got mixed up. My mom was so busy being sad…"

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks at this point. "I'm pretty sure your father's behavior wasn't helping much either."

"No, sir," agreed Riley. "Anyway, I don't remember which school it was, but they skipped me a couple grades. I thought it was kinda weird at first, but the workload was suddenly interesting and challenging." Riley shrugged. "It was a welcome change from my schoolwork before. I didn't know if it was just the way the school did things or what so I didn't say anything. I guess my grades were good enough that no one noticed."

Gibbs chuckled. "From what McGee tells me, Riley, your grades in school were more than good enough."

Riley shrugged again. "Whatever; doesn't matter. The point is, no one noticed, so I just stayed two years older. It was fine by me because it meant I could graduate and leave two years sooner."

Gibbs nodded and took a long drink of his otherwise lukewarm coffee. He set the mug down and maneuvered his shoulder around a little.

"Hurt?" asked Riley.

"I'll live. It's been dislocated before, probably why Dr. Mallard didn't have too much trouble popping it back in place. I've been shot, blown up and run over… comes with the job. Falling off buildings is a piece of cake." He smirked as he said the words. A smile played on Riley's lips as well.

"Being a Marine is no walk in the park."

"Nope, but it made me who I am today."

"Why'd you quit?"

Gibbs was silent a moment pondering how he could answer that question. "A lot of reasons, but I guess I knew that I wanted to be able to help my fellow Marines. It was getting that I wasn't deployable anymore - one too many explosions I'd guess you'd say, - and I wasn't content to sit on the sidelines. NCIS was the next best thing."

Riley seemed to accept Gibbs words at face value and Gibbs was content to leave it at that. Gibbs scratched his head thoughtfully deciding it was time to cut to the chase. Riley was going to have to face General Marshall eventually and Gibbs needed to feel the kid out to see how he'd do with that.

"Riley, the Brigadier General at Parris Island wants to talk to you about Adams."

Riley's face visibly paled and he licked his lips. "I-I've heard some stories about him, sir."

Gibbs nodded. He remembered how it was among the recruits. The scuttlebutt was always worse than reality.

"I'm not going to lie to you. He's a tough son of a bitch, but Riley, he's a good guy and he's got kids your age. He's more than he presents at first glance. He's no stranger to falling on hard times either. As much as he might intimidate you, underneath that gruff exterior, he really does want to help you."

"I guess I really messed stuff up for him."

Gibbs chuckled. Riley had no idea the trouble he'd caused for Marshall and Parris Island. Frankly, Gibbs felt it was best Riley didn't know the real truth, but somehow he knew that Marshall was just waiting to blast the kid to kingdom come.

"You're a tough kid, Rye. I see strength in you that I rarely see in kids your age. Embrace that when you need to. The Brigadier might blow his top, but the dust will settle. He'll respect you a lot more if you just look him in the eye and show him no regret. You did what you felt you had to do. There is no shame in that. Let him blow off some steam and then we can move on to nailing Adams."

Riley swallowed a few times. "I- I don't feel strong, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded. "You've been through hell, Riley. I get it. I'm not here to lay a guilt trip on you. Adams is going to hang on his own. Your fellow recruits are gonna nail him to a wall with or without you, but I thought, just maybe, you'd want a chance to hammer your own nail."

Riley stood up and walked towards the window again. Gibbs felt his heart rate increase. He sure as hell didn't want a repeat of earlier. The lock was fastened securely to the window, but he wasn't putting anything past Riley.

"Guys from my platoon?"

Gibbs rose to his feet and walked up behind Riley, placing his hand on his shoulder. His memory wasn't always pristine, but he remembered a few names. "Tanner, Smith, Nichols, to name a few. They reported that Adams took a dislike to you the day you arrived on base."

Riley stiffened when Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder. "I thought I'd escaped it all when I joined. The recruit officers were awesome. They made it sound like a dream, like my dad did when I was a kid… before Ryan…" Riley's voice cracked and trailed off. Riley turned around and faced Gibbs. "I didn't mind the discipline. I guess a part of me even knew I needed it, but Adams cornered me the first day and…" Riley swallowed.

Gibbs steel blue eyes looked at Riley with compassion. "What'd he do?"

Riley's lip quivered. "I don't know what I did or what it was about me that he hated me so much."

"It had nothing to do with you, Riley."

Riley's eyes flashed in anger. "Yes, it did!" He shoved past Gibbs and stormed toward the door, pounding his fist against it. "It had everything to do with me!"

Gibbs watched Riley wrestle with his emotions.

"He pegged me an easy target, Agent Gibbs. Do you know what that feels like? He said… he said," stammered Riley. Riley pounded the door again. "He wrapped his hands around my throat after he…." He choked back more tears that threatened to fall. "H-he made me swear I would never tell another soul…" A look of agony flooded Riley's face. "I'm not even sure how long I sat there afterward… I felt so numb… like I was trapped in some kind of nightmare." Riley turned to face Gibbs, and at that moment, Gibbs knew exactly what Riley was trying to tell him. Adams had more than just physically abused Riley. It was way more insidious than that.

Gibbs felt sucker-punched. Out of all the things he expected Riley to tell him, that hadn't been one of them. He released a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding and cleared his throat softly, carefully schooling his features. Riley had confided something so intimate and so hideous that Gibbs feared he'd say the wrong thing. "It had nothing to do with you, Riley."

"Then why'd he pick me, huh? Why the hell did he pick me?"

Gibbs wished he had an answer. He wasn't naïve enough to say he didn't know it happened, but stuff like this was so disturbing that most didn't want to admit that it happened at all.

"Adams is a power hungry bastard. If it hadn't been you, it would have been some else."

Tears traced a path down Riley's flushed cheeks. "I wish it had been someone else."

Gibbs nodded and squeezed Riley's shoulder, trying to offer comfort. The more Gibbs found out about the teenager, the more his guts felt like they were being ripped apart from the inside. Riley couldn't seem to catch a break. The kid had spent so much time burying his emotions under the rug that he was now being pulled under with them. It broke Gibbs' heart.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs returned to the bullpen after Belinda returned. Riley's mother had arrived at NCIS, and he didn't feel like he needed to be around to handle the reunion. Belinda was better trained in that kind of thing. Besides, he needed some time to digest all that Riley had shared with him. He knew he would have to write a formal report and submit it to Children's Services. The case had just gone from worse straight to the pits of hell. Physical assault of a minor was one thing, but this? This was a whole other can of worms. Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face in dismay. He didn't even have words to express how he was feeling, besides sick to his stomach. There was a special place in hell for creeps like Adams, and Gibbs felt like even those places were too good for the likes of him.

"How's Riley?" asked Tony when Gibbs entered the bullpen.

How could Gibbs even answer that given what he knew? "He's one hell of a tough kid."

Tony nodded his agreement. "You okay, Boss?"

Gibbs considered that. Was he okay? He felt like he was on the edge of complete detachment and was dangerous teetering over it. He decided to deflect the question.

"I'm going to see how Mak is doing. Anything new I should know about?"

Tony shook his head. "Haven't seen hide nor hair of Mackie or the director since everything went down."

Gibbs headed towards the stairway. "You coming to Aimee's welcome home party?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Gibbs smiled to himself as he walked up the stairs slowly. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was Aimee. He kept reminding himself of that. Aimee was safe from David Brody. The microchip was in the right hands and decades of human trafficking were brought to halt. Brody might have been a son of a bitch, but a minuscule part of Gibbs appreciated everything the guy did to contribute to the right people getting nailed. The man was mentally ill and would likely never see the outside world again, but Gibbs couldn't wish him out of existence when he'd help create such a special gift as Aimee. Aimee and Janessa were his now, except for some formal paperwork. Thanksgiving was coming fast and he had a lot to be thankful for.

As Gibbs walked into Cynthia's office, he noticed the woman looking a little bewildered.

"The Boss in?" he asked with a smile. He felt like she deserved that from him for all the times he stormed passed her without even acknowledging her presence.

"Yes, but I don't think now is a good time, Agent Gibbs. There has been a lot more hollering than talking going on in there."

Gibbs winced. "Any idea who's winning?"

"Well, I'd say the director has met her match when it comes to her young niece."

"I definitely agree with that."

A shrill voice belonging to Makayla could be heard in the outer office. Gibbs lifted a brow in Cynthia's direction.

"Think she'd appreciate backup, or am I walking into an ambush?"

Cynthia shrugged, standing to her feet. "I'll leave that to your discretion, Agent Gibbs. I'm going to take a late lunch. Let the director know, will you?"

Gibbs nodded and turned to stare at the outer door. He closed his eyes and seriously debated turning on his heel and going back to the bullpen. He didn't know if he had it in him to go a round or two with Jenny or Makayla. His shoulder was throbbing in time with his pulse. It was bearable, but he certainly wouldn't mind taking the rest of the day off. Ducky was going to take a strip out of him if he didn't get his shoulder looked at before he saw the M.E. again. Pinching his nose in preparation, he decided to take his changes and open the door.

"What the hell happened to you, Aunt Jenny? You used to be different. Why'd you have to change? Now, you're no different than my mother and I hate her."

Gibbs' jaw dropped a little when he walked in and saw the 14-year-old girl standing over top Jenny and shouting at her. Jenn was sitting on the sofa at the back of the room with her own mouth dropped open in bewilderment. Makayla was screaming at the top of her lungs, obviously completely out of control. Gibbs marched into the room and shut the door loudly behind him. Jenn looked up and Makayla spun on her heel, her face growing white in surprise.

Jenny stood to her feet and straightened her clothing quickly. "You could have knocked, Agent Gibbs."

"Yep, I could have." He pinned a hard look in Makayla's direction.

Makayla licked her lips, most of her previous anger melting away. "I… uh…"

Gibbs lifted a brow in interest, wondering what the girl might say to him.

Jenn walked up to him. "Is your shoulder okay?"

"I'll live."

"H-how's Riley?" Makayla managed to almost whisper.

Gibbs walked up to her, invading her personal space a moment before drawing her in for a hug. Makayla seemed to stiffen a moment and then melt into the embrace. Gibbs knew she was worried about the Riley, feeling responsible for setting him free and adding to his problems. The poor kid had gotten mixed up with so much while being a part of the NCIS family, just by default.

"I think he's going to be okay. He's with his mom."

Makayla pulled away, her eyes wide in surprise. "His mom?"

"Yep, we called his mom because we thought he could use some support right now."

"He's in a lot of trouble, huh?"

"Actually, no; turns out, most of what happened wasn't his fault." Gibbs didn't continue explaining. He didn't feel like he needed to go into much detail about Riley's personal business, and he was thankful when Makayla seemed satisfied with his answer. "What about you? You okay?"

Makayla took a few steps back and shrugged. Her face flushed as she dropped her chin and looked down at the floor.

"Makayla and I were having a conversation," began Jenn, who walked behind her desk and sat down.

"Sounded more like a war to me. Cynthia and I could hear you."

Makayla scowled and walked to the sofa at the back of the room. She threw herself down and hid her face in a cushion. Gibbs felt his pulse jump a notch. Did he really want to deal with Makayla right now? It felt like it took too much work to knock her off her high horse long enough so she would listen to him. Jenn was definitely not getting anywhere and seemed to have only incensed the girl.

"Jethro, could we have a word? Alone," said Jenny, quietly. She didn't move from behind her desk and Makayla sat up.

"You mean you want me to leave, so you can rat on me, right?"

Jenny stood up. "Actually, no, I want you to stay put and not move a muscle from my office. Agent Gibbs and I can talk someplace else."

Makayla lay back, covering her face with the cushion again. "Whatever."

Gibbs and Jenn exchanged a look. Jenny looked more than a little worse for wear. Gibbs tried hard not to find humor in the situation. The woman could intimidate wanton criminals, but she couldn't break through Makayla's walls.

"Cynthia said she was taking a late lunch," said Gibbs as Jenn reached in front of him to open the door.

Jenn grimaced. "What time is it?"

"Way past lunch, Jenn." Gibbs kept his voice low so only Jenn could hear him.

"This day keeps getting better and better."

"Jenn, go get something to eat first, then we can talk."

Jenn's face reddened and it looked like she would argue with him. Gibbs reached out and took her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Go." He put a little special Agent in his command, hoping she would just listen and not get her back up. At first, her green eyes flashed anger, but he gave her a firm glance in return and she relented. He softened and leaned closer to her. "Let me talk to her, Jenn."

"Good luck. She's impossible right now." Jenn's voice was just above a whisper.

"I know you're talking about me!" shouted Makayla, her voice dripping with irritation.

Jenn spun on her heel to say something, but Gibbs' gripped her arm gently. She turned and looked into his steely blue-gray eyes and sighed.

"I'll be back in an hour."

"Don't hurry on my account," snapped Makayla from under her cushion.

Gibbs held the door open for Jenn and all but pushed her out, shutting the door quietly. He didn't know what it was about women not being able to just walk away. Jenn always seemed to want the last word and he couldn't understand why she couldn't just learn to bite her tongue and stay quiet. Fires went out when you didn't add fuel to them.

Gibbs looked at the teenager lying on the sofa, still hiding her face. Her body was stiff, letting him know loud and clear to tread lightly. He walked across the room and sat in the chair kiddy-corner to her, leaning back with an audible groan. The painkillers were wearing off. He hurt. His shoulder, his arm, his back… hell, who was he kidding? Every part of him ached. Some days, he thought he was still in his thirties, today he felt his age.

"Does it hurt?"

"Like hell," he said.

Makayla sat up, looking at him more intently. "Did you break it?"

"Nope, yanked it out of its socket."

She scrunched up her face.

"You tried to warn me."

Her eyes widened, tears filling them. She blinked them away quickly. "I saw his foot slip…"

Gibbs nodded. "I'm glad you didn't take off…"

She lifted her chin defiantly. "I almost did."

"I know."

Makayla chewed her lip and stared at him for a few seconds and then threw herself back on the sofa dramatically. "You might as well kill me now and get it over with."

Gibbs closed his eyes, enjoying the solitude, probably a little too much. Taking Jenn out of the equation had put Mak's fire out. He had a sickening feeling in his gut that he was going to need to be the bad guy with both of them.

"I'm not going to kill you, Mak. But I am going to get in your face if you keep speaking so disrespectfully to your Aunt…"

Makayla shot up. "What about her, huh? All she does is rag on me about that stupid school…"

Gibbs opened his eyes and pinned her with a stern look. "This stopped being about school when you told me you were running away. So, you were expelled, so what?" He pointed a finger at her. "We can fix that and you may need to eat crow, but it's not the end of the world. But, you telling me that you're running away and then hanging up on me? Well, that's a whole other story."

Makayla swallowed and turned her back on him.

Gibbs relaxed back in the chair. He was content to let her stew a little. She could solve things or continue hammering nails in her coffin. He was good either way.

"I'm not apologizing to her."

Gibbs remained quiet.

"She's going to contact my parents anyway. I hate her."

Gibbs felt his temper ignite at her words. He had to force himself to stay calm.

"You made your bed, kiddo."

Makayla jumped to her feet. "How," she screamed at him. "I told her how I felt about school. She doesn't care!"

Gibbs looked at her. "Sit."

"No," she snapped.

He raised a brow. "Sit down, now."

She sat.

He looked her in the eye, pointing a finger for effect. "Your Aunt is following your parents' wishes. That is all she can do. She agreed to take care of you while your parents are overseas. Taking care of you means making sure you eat, you stay healthy, you feel loved and you keep up with your responsibilities. It doesn't mean coddle you and give in to your every whim."

Mak rolled her eyes.

"Your obligations are to obey your aunt, be respectful and go to school. You haven't done that, instead, you've decided to wage war against your aunt about something she had no control over."

"I'm not going back to that school."

"Yah, and you made sure you didn't have to, so now what?"

Makayla shrugged.

"No answers?"

She shrugged again.

"Still going to take off the next chance you get?"

"So what if I do?"

Gibbs clenched his jaw at Mak's flippancy. He was feeling like he was going to need to provide a lesson in respecting authority sooner rather than later, and he didn't relish doing that considering how much he was hurting. Besides, Mak wasn't his daughter and he really didn't have that right. He'd had all these thoughts before. _For Pete's sake, why didn't her parents come home and do their job?_

"I think you already know what I will do should you make that choice. To be honest, I'm thinking of doing it anyway."

Makayla was on her feet again, backing away from him. He lifted a brow as he pinned her with a hard look, then he softened when he saw the look of fear swim across her face. He sighed. The last thing he wanted was to see fear in any child's face, especially fear of him. That was never his intention.

"Relax, Mackie, I said I was thinking about it, and that doesn't mean doing it." He motioned for her to sit down, but she shook her head, tears tracing a path down her cheeks. "Oh, kiddo, what are we going to do with you?"


	44. Chapter 44

_**Hi, Readers**_

 _ **Here is another chapter for you...this was a difficult chapter to write...hopefully, you will enjoy it. Just a reminder that Gibbs is an old-fashioned kind of guy...we wrestled with this one and in the end, Gibbs won out. All that to say that a fictional teen girl is disciplined by a fictional authority figure. Gibbs and I are not on speaking terms at the moment. (I'll forgive him, though...hope you will too) Any negative reviews are to be addressed directly to Gibbs. :P I will gladly accept the postive ones. :)**_

Gibbs lay on his sofa with his eyes closed, listening to the hubbub around him. Happy voices surrounded him from every corner of his home. He could hear his dad in the kitchen joking with Abby and Janessa; he could hear Tony and Tim arguing about something stupid and insignificant yet totally them; Jenn and Ziva were discussing some new kind of workout program; Jimmy was playing a game with Aimee and Ducky. His heart was overflowing with thankfulness. Aimee's welcome home party was a complete success, but he could hardly keep his eyes open. He was completely and utterly exhausted, content to just relax and everyone was kind enough to allow it. He'd finally made it a priority to be seen at the hospital and received some anti-inflammatories and some real painkillers. His shoulder had certainly seen better days. He wasn't getting any younger and being yanked off ledges of buildings probably wasn't the best of ideas anymore.

"Agent Gibbs? Are you asleep?"

Gibbs popped open one eye to see Makayla looking down at him. "Nope."

Mak sat on the coffee table in front of him, and Gibbs rolled over so he could see her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yep. I'm feeling a lot better after the doctor gave me some stronger painkillers."

"I guess Ducky was right, huh?"

Gibbs chuckled and looked over at Ducky playing a game at the table. The older man was usually always right, but Gibbs almost never admitted it. "Yah, he was right, but don't tell him that. I don't want it to go to his head."

Mak smirked and rubbed her hands on her pants, looking nervous.

"Something bothering you?" asked Gibbs.

"I know you probably want to spend some time with Aimee, but I was wondering if I could stay here with you too. I… um…"

Gibbs groaned as he sat up. How was it possible to be so sore? His entire back was in spasms and his head felt cloudy. He was going to pass out soon if he didn't get some sleep. He hated to be a spoilsport, but if he was going to be any help getting his girls to bed, the evening needed to come to an end.

"You mean tonight?"

Mak looked down at the carpet. "Yah, and tomorrow too…and maybe like until my parents come home. I don't have any school tomorrow because…"

Gibbs stifled a yawn. "I'll tell you what, you can stay here as long as you want, but you need to promise me you will ask your aunt's permission respectfully. You may not have school tomorrow, but that doesn't mean you're on vacation."

"I know," she whispered.

"Okay. Go ask your aunt. If she agrees, then you and I can talk and come to an understanding of the rules of my house, but not tonight. I need to get some sleep."

Makayla looked up and smiled at him. "Thanks."

Gibbs' patted her knee with a smile and pulled himself to his feet. He felt lightheaded and needed to grab the side of the sofa to keep from losing his footing.

"Hey, take it easy, Boss," said Tony, quickly coming to his side and helping him stay on his feet. Gibbs massaged his temples a moment, trying to get his feet back under him. He was feeling like he was in no position to argue with anyone. Tony helped him sit back down and he did so without complaint.

"You, okay?" asked Tony.

Gibbs nodded. Ducky came sauntering over, concern on his face. He exchanged a look with Gibbs and cleared his throat loudly. "Well, everyone, this has been such a pleasant evening, but some of us need to get our beauty sleep."

The room became quiet as people looked at Ducky for a few moments. Gibbs groaned inwardly because he knew everyone last one of them was looking past Ducky to see how tired he was. Janessa came wandering into the living room with a milk mustache and plopped down beside Gibbs. She leaned against him and yawned so big that her little face disappeared. Gibbs chuckled. He wasn't the only one who was tired. After a moment of awkward silence, everyone began to say goodbye and make their way out. Gibbs lay back once again and Janessa snuggled under his arm. He tried to force himself to stay awake to say his goodbyes, but things began to fade out of his awareness.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs leaned against the wall in the kitchen nursing a cup of strong coffee. His thoughts were cluttered and certainly not his own this morning. He was thankful for the medication the doctor had prescribed had knocked him out so thoroughly. He hadn't even remembered everyone leaving the night before, nor did he stir all night. He'd slept soundly and quite peacefully, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"Jethro," said an exasperated voice.

"I'm listening, Jenn," he said walking to his kitchen table and sitting down.

Jenn had arrived earlier and let herself in, finding Gibbs still asleep on the sofa.

"I called my sister, Julia, last night. She and her husband plan to fly home in a few weeks. In the meantime, Makayla is still suspended from Xavier Preparatory. They do not take kindly to cheating. Do you realize the ramifications of this? Xavier is a world-renowned Preparatory school…this school has a waiting list that starts in the womb."

Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. "And this concerns me in what way, Jenn?" Gibbs wanted to make sure he was treading carefully on the situation. His head was clear enough, but at the same time, with Jenn, he could never tell where she was heading in a particular conversation. He'd learned a long time ago to make sure he was on the same page.

"You said she could stay with you…"

Gibbs sighed, remembering he had, in fact, said that. "Yah, I did."

"You're enabling her. She won't work things out with me if you give her an escape."

"Jenn, I'm not enabling her. Look, if Mak stays with me, she and I are going to come to an understanding. She knows I'm not happy with her running away nonsense…"

"What if I don't want her to stay with you?"

"Did you tell her she couldn't stay with me?"

"Well, no, but she didn't really ask me."

"What did she say?" Gibbs was curious. His recollection of the night before was fuzzy, but he was pretty sure he told Makayla to ask for permission and not simply tell Jenn what she was going to do.

"She said you said she could stay with you."

Gibbs' sighed. He should have known Makayla would skate around the issue. He really needed to have a serious talk with the girl. He just wasn't in the right frame of mind last night. He still wasn't sure if he was in a good frame of mind even yet. Mak was becoming a master at manipulating her aunt, and it was beginning to tick him off.

"If you don't want her to stay with me, then she doesn't stay with me. End of story. Jenn, I'm not trying to interfere. I'm trying to help, and if I remember correctly, you were the one who asked if I'd help you with Mak. Neither one of us wants that little girl to run off again. Something tells me that when she finds out her parents are coming home, the panic is going to set in and she's going to take off again. I'm sick to death of kids running away! My tolerance level is zero."

Jenny stood up and walked across the kitchen, hugging her arm around her thin waist. She turned and looked at Gibbs with tears shimmering in her eyes. "What's wrong with me, Jethro?"

Gibbs frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since Makayla came to stay with me, all I've managed to do is push her further away."

Gibbs rose to his feet and went to stand by Jenn. "Have you taken a minute to look at Mak's work, Jenn?"

Jenny worried her bottom lip a moment before shaking her head. "She wouldn't share it with me," she admitted, "And when I attempted to steal a look, she got angry with me for snooping."

Gibbs felt his frustration increase. Makayla was being as difficult and stubborn as Jenn, definitely must be a dominant trait in the Shepard genes.

Footsteps could be heard which made Jenny and Gibbs look towards the doorway. A rather sleepy looking Makayla came into the kitchen. She ran her fingers through her tousled ginger hair and avoided eye contact with Gibbs.

"G'Morning, sleepy head," said Gibbs pleasantly with a friendly smile. He always was one to want to start the day off on the right foot at home, no matter what the circumstances. A warm greeting in the morning was something he always swore he'd give his kids…or any kid for that matter.

She chanced a quick look in his direction and offered him a half smile in return. She sat in a chair, pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her silence was loud.

"How long have you been there?" asked Jenny, brushing a hand over the girl's hair to try and tame it.

Makayla shrugged. "Long enough."

Gibbs grabbed the fruit bowl on the counter and placed it on the table, taking a seat opposite Makayla. The girl reached for an apple and began shining it on her pyjama top silently.

"Your aunt tells me you told her you could stay with me," began Gibbs, not unkindly.

"You said I could." Makayla was already in defensive mode.

"I distinctly remember telling you to ask your aunt for permission." His memories of the day and night before were foggy, but he did remember that.

Makayla's face reddened and she took a big bite of her apple, not making eye contact.

Jenn sat down with a loud sigh. "It doesn't matter, Jethro."

"It matters to me, Jenn."

"I'm sorry," muttered Makayla. "It was just simpler to say that last night…"

"Simpler to deceive?" asked Gibbs.

"I didn't…"

"Careful, Mak," warned Gibbs. His frown was not to be mistaken. She was skating on thin ice.

Makayla dropped her chin again, spinning her apple around between her fingers.

Jenny rubbed her eyes, fatigue showing on her features. Gibbs could see how exasperated Jenny was. The situation was complicated and a part of Gibbs was angry that her sister would dump such a big responsibility on Jenn. Jenny Shepard had an enormous responsibility on her shoulders with being the director of NCIS. Jenn had made decisions in her life, for better or for worse, and that included not having children of her own.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Jenn, but I think it's better if I stay with Agent Gibbs…"

"Why?" asked Gibbs. "Why is it better?"

"Because you listen and try to understand me…"

"Makayla," said Jenn, exasperation in her voice.

"No, listen to me. Please."

Jenny was quiet.

Makayla stood to her feet and tossed her apple core in the garbage. She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. "It used to be that you listened to me, Aunt Jenn. You took me and Maddy shopping, and we had fun together. When mom said I was staying with you, I was so excited because I thought you'd be that same fun aunt, but you're not."

"Mak, life isn't all fun and games. Visiting your aunt and living with your aunt can't be the same," Gibbs attempted to explain.

"I know that! I'm not stupid, Agent Gibbs," snapped Mak in frustration. Gibbs lifted a brow in surprise at her outburst but remained quiet. "I knew it would be different, but I never expected her to be worse than my parents. Don't you get it? I can't breathe when I'm around them or her. Their expectations are too high." Tears filled Makayla's eyes and her bottom lip quivered.

Jenny rose to her feet and walked over to Makayla, standing in front of her. "I love you, Makayla. You and Maddy both. Your mom and dad are so proud of you girls. It's all Julia talks about whenever we talk."

Tears fell down Makayla's cheeks. "She's only proud of us when it suits her fancy…"

"Makayla, you know that's not true."

"You don't know her like I do, damn it!" Makayla shouted the words in Jenn's face, the anger and hurt plain on her face. "Why the hell do you even care what she thinks anyway? You're never going to be like Julia…stop trying to be her!"

Gibbs rose to his feet at this outburst, determined to end it before it escalated. He was in no mood for a catfight this early in the morning. He walked up to Makayla and cupped her chin in his hand. He tipped her face up so she was looking directly into his stern blue eyes.

"You may voice your opinion, but you may not be disrespectful while doing it. Understand?"

Makayla's face paled considerably and her bottom lip trembled as she nodded. Gibbs released her chin, but continued to stare at her sternly. He needed her to know that he wasn't going to put up with anything from her this morning. He didn't have the patience.

"Sorry," she mumbled so softly it could barely be heard.

Gibbs took a few steps back and refilled his coffee.

"Makayla, I do know Julia. She's my older sister, and I know her heart," Jenny began, ignoring most of the outburst. Gibbs couldn't help but see the hurt expression on Jenn's face. Makayla's words had touched a sore spot. "You and Maddy are her whole life. She has soaked everything she is into you girls. She wants what's best for you."

"You're wrong. You might not know this, but Maddy went to boarding school to get away. She's just better at playing the game than I am. Maddy wants to be some successful big wig nitwit like them. I don't!"

"Honey, you're 14 years old. You don't know what you want to be yet."

"Yes, I do!" Makayla's voice rose again and Gibbs cleared his throat as a reminder. Makayla clenched her fists and groaned. Gibbs could see the internal battle she was fighting at the moment. Makayla was close to blowing her top, and somehow she was finding it very difficult to express herself without losing her temper. The girl swallowed several times and wiped away the tears of frustration on her cheeks. "I do know what I want to do with my life. It's my life and my decision to make. You can't tell me what to do and neither can they!"

Jenn's hands found her hips and Gibbs inwardly groaned, knowing the look of exasperation washing over her. Gibbs had seen it before. Jenn was finished trying to talk reason and she was moving on to laying down the law. Instead of diffusing the situation, Jenn was about to light the flame.

"Your parents will be home in a few weeks, and until then, you will mind me, Makayla Wallace. I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense from you. I'm done trying to reason with you about this. It's bad enough that you felt justified in cheating to get suspended from school…"

Makayla's face reddened and her eyes blazed. "Shut up!"

Gibbs set his coffee down on the counter and took Makayla by the arm gently. He needed to diffuse things fast or it was going to be a fruitless waste of a conversation.

"Enough. It's not okay to speak to your aunt that way."

Makayla's anger turned on him. "And it's okay for her to belittle me?"

Gibbs could feel the girl trembling in his arms. "Mak, calm down. I want you to go get your sketchbook."

Makayla narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"Go get your sketchbook."

"No."

Gibbs exchanged a look with Jenn. The beautiful auburn haired woman looked beyond exasperated. He saw her tuck stray hairs behind her ears. Her hand was trembling, and he could feel Makayla trembling under his hand as well. Gibbs forced himself to shake off the growing anger in him and take a step back. Makayla's defiance wasn't a personal attack on him or Jenn, well, maybe on Jenn but certainly not on him.

"Mackie, please go get your sketchbook. I want you to show your aunt your drawings."

Mak yanked her arm away, this time appearing just a little more brave and bold. "My drawings are personal and none of her business."

"Jenn will better understand you if you open up and share your talents with her."

"She doesn't care!"

"I do care, Makayla," said Jenn, reaching out to try and comfort the girl.

"No, you don't!"

"Makayla…" began Jenn.

"Shut up and leave me alone!"

Makayla went to leave the room, but Gibbs stopped her. He spun her around and pointed a stern finger in her face. "I won't warn you again."

Makayla's eyes flashed. Gibbs knew that all the girl's reason had left her. She had decided that it was worth the fight, and he could tell that she wasn't about to back down anytime soon. His throat tightened a little as he thought about what he might need to do to deescalate the situation. He knew he was an old-fashioned man with traditional values and not many people shared his views. Gibbs always did what he felt was right in every circumstance. He didn't often waffle or second guess himself, but maybe this time it would just be better to let her leave the room and cool down. He looked deeply into her eyes, pleading with her to see reason, but then scoffed at himself when he realized he was doing it. She was a 14-year-old girl overtaken by emotion; she couldn't see reason right now even if it jumped out and bit her on the nose.

Jenn walked over and attempted to put a comforting arm around Makayla's shoulders. The girl ducked her arm and turned to glare at them both unreasonably.

"Leave me alone!" she said, anger powerful in her features.

"Are you going to get the sketchbook or not?" asked Gibbs once again, growing increasingly impatient with her stubbornness.

"NO!" Makayla screamed the word belligerently, losing all control and shoving Gibbs back away from her.

"Okay, I've had enough," said Gibbs, resolutely. He reached out and grabbed Makayla by the arm and led her towards the pantry. "Excuse us for a minute, Jenn." He heard Makayla and Jenn gasp in unison as he dragged the teen girl with him into his walk-in pantry.

"Jethro," cried Jenn, but he ignored her.

XxXx

Once inside the dark room, he switched on the light and closed the door. The light illuminated the shelves stocked with canned food and other items in storage. Brooms and various household tools and items were hung neatly on the wall as well. The pantry had been Shannon's biggest delight about the house when they bought it, a large walk-in pantry with tons of storage room. Gibbs remembered teasing her about her excitement. Such a small thing had given his wife such complete joy.

Gibbs turned to Makayla and pulled her towards the stool with him as he sat down. He pinned her between his legs and looked sternly into her eyes.

"The way I see things right now, you have a choice. You can cut the crap and go out and work things out reasonably and politely, or I can pull you over my knee and teach you the manners you have so obviously forgotten. What's it going to be?"

Makayla's eyes widened in disbelief, but Gibbs couldn't read the expression on her face. It wasn't fear he saw, so he knew she wasn't afraid of him. Her jaw was set in stubborn resolve though, and he didn't like it even a little. He couldn't figure out what was making her so damned tenacious.

"I'm waiting."

Makayla put her hands on his knees and tried to push him away, but he pinned her tight between his legs. Gibbs grimaced as he struggled to contain her. If she forced his hand in this, it wasn't going to be an easy thing for him to maneuver. He wouldn't be able to hold her without causing himself a whole lot of pain.

"Lemme go," she murmured, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. Gibbs could see that she was starting to realize she was fighting a losing battle.

"Why won't you let Jenn see your sketchbook?"

Makayla stubbornly set her jaw, still trying to push him away.

"Mackie, you need to talk to me, kiddo and tell me what's going on. All this hostility isn't going to win you any favours here."

"I hate her!" She shouted into his face.

"Why?"

"Because I do."

"Mackie, that isn't an answer, and you know it. C'mon, tell me what's going on in that little stubborn head of yours?"

Makayla shook her head and sniffled. Gibbs could feel her trembling beneath his tight grip on her. He released his grip while still trapping her between his knees and wiped away tears on her cheeks. His heart was aching for her. She was fighting some kind of internal battle, yet she wasn't willing to let anyone in to help her.

"Mackie…" he said softly.

"I thought you were my friend, Agent Gibbs." she spat, "I thought you understood me, but maybe you don't at all."

"Why won't you let Jenny see your sketches?"

Makayla dropped her chin to her chest and closed her eyes. Tears continued to trace a path down her cheeks, but she remained silent. Gibbs tipped up her chin, needing to force it up so that they were eye to eye. "Mackie?" Makayla tried to jerk her face away, but Gibbs caught her chin in his hand. "Your aunt deserves your respect. I can't force you to show her your work, but I think you should. I'm willing to allow you to go out and continue this conversation intelligently. If you can agree to that, we will do that."

"Can't I just go to my room?"

"Mak, at this point, I don't know where that room is? You haven't even asked your aunt for permission to stay here."

Makayla was quiet. Gibbs stared at her for a few moments hoping that she'd say something, but she just remained stubbornly silent.

"I'm waiting," he prompted.

"For what?" she screamed at him.

Gibbs bit down on the inside of his cheek. He'd reached the end of his patience. "Ok. I want you to know that you've made a choice."

Catching the girl off guard, Gibbs was able to switch up her position so that she was over his knee with very little effort. She gasped in astonishment, her instincts forcing her to catch herself with her hands. Before she had a moment to process the situation, Gibbs landed a few quick swats to her behind.

"Oww," she yelped, reaching a hand back and fighting to regain her footing.

Gibbs grimaced and a groan escaped his lips. His irritation had prevented him from thinking things through to conclusion, and he'd brought his injured arm down to hold her. Despite the intense pain from her struggling to get up, he landed a barrage of stinging swats to her behind with his good arm. It was definitely what he considered a full-fledged spanking, one that he seldom dished out; not done in anger or malice but unabridged and earned. He wasn't one to talk much when he did it either.

"P-please s-stop," she whimpered pathetically, struggling to catch her breath.

Gibbs did. He rested his injured arm on her back as tears filled his eyes. His own pain was intense as his shoulder throbbed to the beat of his pulse. Makayla's dissolved into sobs, too caught up in her own misery to realise the pain Gibbs was in. Gibbs knew he wouldn't be able to scoop her up so he was forced to let her cry it out over his knee. Her cries pierced his heart only adding to his physical pain. More than anything he wanted to pull her into his arms and hug away her hurt; he certainly never wanted to add to it.

"I'm sorry," she cried.

He rubbed soothing circles on her back as she sobbed, not seeming to realise that he wasn't forcing her down anymore. It was like she was expecting more swats to come. Her whole body was tense but slowly began to relax as he massaged her back. He wasn't able to say anything quite yet as he struggled to manage his own pain.

After several minutes, she found her footing and pushed herself up off his knee. Gibbs caught her in his arm once she was upright and he pulled her into an embrace. She melted into him, hugging him in return. They stayed like that for what seemed like a long moment. Gibbs planted several gentle kisses onto her ginger hair, still rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry," she murmured again.

Gibbs forced her back so he could see her tear streaked face. "You okay?"

Mak nodded. Her green eyes searched his face for a moment, and he wasn't able to hide his own pain; she inhaled sharply at the realization.

"One day you're gonna realise how much adults hate doing that," he said with a grimace.

Makayla touched his cheek where a tear had escaped. "Is your shoulder okay?"

"I'll live. Mackie, tell me what's going on in that head of yours before you self-destruct." He tapped her gently on the temple.

Makayla swallowed, her lower lip trembling and tears cascading down her cheeks. "I can't be who they want me to be, Agent Gibbs. They're never going to love me. They aren't," she sobbed.

Gibbs pulled her into his chest again, balancing her on his knee. He knew her backside must be throbbing about as much as his shoulder, but she didn't seem to care. "I love you, Mackie exactly as you are. You better believe that, kiddo because it's honest to God truth." He grabbed a fistful of her hair and gave it a gentle tug. "Do you believe me?" She nodded under his grip and he released it, smoothing out her hair with his hand. "Then let me help you. Can you do that?" She nodded again, leaning in even closer to him. He felt her finally letting go of herself. "You need to trust me, and you need to trust your Aunt Jenn. We've got you, and we won't let you fall."

Makayla sniffled and nodded again. After another few moments, she pulled away from him. She gave him a watery smile. "Okay, I'll show Aunt Jenny my sketchbook," she said, standing to her feet.

Gibbs stifled a laugh. "I had to do all that to get you to listen to me?"

Makayla sucked in her bottom lip. "I'm not doing it because you…did that…"

Gibbs lifted a brow in mild amusement.

She smacked his chest. "I'm not." She sniffled again and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "I want her to see my work. I'm just afraid she'll hate it and it won't change anything."

Gibbs rose to his feet and pulled her into a sideways hug but remained quiet. He was silently praying that Jenn heard every word spoken between them in the pantry. Something desperately needed to change in Makayla's life. She was screaming to be heard and if he had anything to do with it, people would listen to her.

XxXx

Gibbs opened the pantry door to see Jenn standing with her arm wrapped around her waist tightly. Her face was pale and tears stained her cheeks. Gibbs couldn't tell if her expression was displaying hatred towards him or herself. Once Makayla came out behind him, Jenny rushed towards her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Are you okay?"

Makayla nodded and wrapped her arms around her aunt in what Gibbs felt was a genuine hug in return. Makayla had finally let her walls come down which he was very relieved to see. If he'd have done all that to no avail, he wasn't sure what he would have done next. He stepped forward and wrapped both women into an embrace, albeit one side was just a damaged limb resting limply.

Jenn was the first to pull away. "It's not true, Mackie Wallace. I will love you no matter what you do. Don't you ever doubt that!" Jenn gave her a little shake before pulling her into another hug. "I'm sorry I've been so hard on you."

Gibbs took a step back and a smiled blossomed across his face…just the use of Makayla's nickname proved to him that Jenny had had a change of heart, letting go of some of her stodginess.

Makayla pulled away from her. "I want to show you something, Aunt Jenny."

Jenny's hands dropped to her side as Mak disappeared from the room. Jenn turned to Gibbs with tears still lingering on her cheeks. "That was…" she attempted.

Gibbs lifted his injured arm up, cradling it with his other. "What?"

"It was the worst thing I've ever heard."

Gibbs frowned and nodded. His mind criticized him as the memories came back. He hated what he'd done with a passion, but something needed to be done, and for better or for worse, he wouldn't apologise for that or regret it. Before Gibbs could say anything else, Makayla ran back into the kitchen with her backpack. Gibbs had no idea where she had hidden it. She set the book on the kitchen table and pulled her aunt by the arm to sit down.

Jenny sat down and opened the book gently while Makayla backed away. Gibbs stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her affectionately. He was proud of her. It was a big step to open one's self up to possible condemnation. Makayla had given him a glimpse of her deepest fear: the dismissal of her talent by those she loved the most. That rejection had taken over her.

Jenny flipped through the sketchbook in quiet awe. Gibbs smiled as he saw the life like sketches and drawings on the paper. Makayla's talent was unmistakable in his eyes, but he was no art critic. Jenny looked up at Makayla and smiled. "I don't know what to say."

Gibbs felt Makayla tense up. He hugged her tighter, hoping that she wouldn't take her aunt's words for criticism. Gibbs didn't believe it was.

"Mackie, this is unbelievable. Have you shown your work to your parents?"

"No…not really; just a few drawings here and there."

Jenny held up the sketchbook so Gibbs could see a pencil sketch of Janessa. Gibbs blinked several times when he saw it; it looked like a black and white photograph, complete right down to the highlights in the little girls' blonde hair and the sparkle in her eyes.

"That's beautiful, Mackie," he said, reaching out to take the sketchbook. He flipped a few more pages to find equally stunning pictures of Aimee and many of the staff at NCIS.

Jenny stood to her feet slowly and looked at her niece. "Mackie, honey, you should share this with your parents. I don't think they truly understand how talented you are. Julia mentioned to me once that you liked to doodle. Those aren't doodles. It's raw, unmitigated talent."

Tears shimmered in Makayla's eyes as she soaked up the long-awaited praise and approval. Gibbs felt his heart grow a little lighter.

Jenny pulled the girl in for a hug. "You should have shown me this a long time ago, sweetie. I had no idea. I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you."

"You really think I'm good?" whispered Makayla in disbelief.

Jenny laughed. "Oh, Makayla, good is an understatement. Honey, you have a gift!"

Gibbs watched as Makayla began to stand a little taller and straighter in her aunt's arms. Her posture changed and her body relaxed visibly. Gibbs took that moment to back out of the kitchen, leaving the two alone. Makayla and Jenny had a lot to talk about and finally, they were on the same page.


	45. Chapter 45

_**BIG, HUGE thank-you for all the reviews! You are all such a wonderful encouragement to me to keep writing in this universe.**_

 _ **Mindless Creations! So glad to see your review ((hugs)) How's the weather in Australia these days? I'm so sick of snow and ice!**_

 _ **90The General09-thanks for your faithful reviews! I always look forward to your input. :)**_

 _ **DS2010, Guest, AureaD, KrisShannon (the reviewer with my nieces' names blended together LOL...my nieces are Kristie and Shannon), Kikilia14, M.v.j.M, and all the others who quietly read along and review now and then: Thank you. :)**_

 _ **This chapter is a fluff chapter...dedicated to Aimee and Gibbs. I plan to write about the day Gibbs goes and signs the official papers, so stay tuned for that.**_

 _ **Makayla and Jenny have mended some bridges, but stay tuned for when her parents return...it might not be a pretty affair.**_

 _ **Since I'm writing this because I enjoy the universe and you all seem to enjoy it too, I will try to fit in some Abby and team stuff too...this has become more of a mini-series than a book. Hope that is okay with everyone :)**_

 _ **Next up: Unfinished business with Riley, his mother and Brigadier General Josh Marshall**_

"Daddy!"

The shrill sound echoed throughout the house causing a chill to run up Gibbs' spine. He looked up from his woodworking and listened for the voice again to be sure he wasn't imagining it.

"Daddy!" The voice seemed to get louder and more jarring.

Gibbs removed his glasses, set them on his workbench and bounded up the steps taking them two by two. His eyes searched the kitchen for his father but didn't see the man anywhere. Jackson had said he was taking the girls out for ice cream that afternoon. Gibbs had gladly welcomed the quiet time.

"Dad?" he called. "Are you home?"

"Daddy!"

This time Gibbs recognized the voice to belong to Janessa and it was coming from the front foyer. Gibbs hurried into the living room and into the front entrance to see Janessa sitting on the floor in tears, holding her knee. He immediately stooped down to inspect the little girl's leg.

"What happened, Ness? Where's Papa Jack?"

"He's right here," bristled the old man as he hobbled into the front door with Aimee trailing behind, looking a little guilty. "She's fine, Leroy. She just skinned her knee."

"It hurts," whimpered Janessa, reaching for Gibbs for comfort.

Gibbs inhaled deeply to slow his heart rate down. Janessa's screams had shaken him slightly but seeing she was still in one piece had calmed him down considerably. He'd had enough excitement lately to last a lifetime.

"Lemme take a look, Nessie." Gibbs pulled up the little girl's pants to inspect the damage. He grimaced a little when he saw that she'd taken a few layers of skin off her knee. Pulling up her pant leg had disturbed the cut enough to start it bleeding again. Gibbs rose to his feet and carefully lifted the child up with his strong arm. He pressed a kiss on her blonde head and hugged her close to calm her down. "You'll be okay. Let's get it cleaned up a little and find a little one of those Mermaid bandages you like so much."

Gibbs looked at his dad for the story of what happened. From the looks of Aimee's guilty expression, he figured she had had a hand in the accident.

Jackson hung up his hat and pulled Aimee in behind him so he could close the door. "They had a little disagreement getting outta the car," he explained.

Aimee looked at him sheepishly and Gibbs knew that the little girl was feeling guilty for her actions; either that or she was feeling nervous about getting in trouble. She had the look of someone with their hand caught in the cookie jar.

"If you're okay with the girls, Leroy, I'm going to go lay down for an hour before I start supper."

"Sure. Thanks for taking them, dad."

Jackson nodded and headed up the stairs without another word. Gibbs couldn't help but notice how tired his dad looked. It wasn't easy to be in your seventies and be caring for two rambunctious kids like Janessa and Aimee. As much as Gibbs appreciated his father taking up the slack, it was getting more obvious that Jackson needed to go home. If Gibbs was going to take care of his girls, he needed to find a way to handle things on his own without depending on his elderly father so much.

"C'mon, Aims, you can help me doctor up this patient." He winked at Aimee kindly and was glad to see her lighten up a little. "Think we'll have to amputate?"

Aimee laughed. "I think so."

Janessa frowned at him and grabbed his face seriously. "What's amppatate?"

"It means we're gonna chop your leg off, you big baby," snapped Aimee.

Gibbs scowled at Aimee when Janessa screeched in his ear. "Ness, we're only teasing." He carried the squirming girl into the kitchen and plopped her on the counter. Janessa went to slide down and he caught her before she escaped. "Nessie, stay still please."

"I don't want you to cut off my leg," she whined, big teardrops falling down her cheeks.

Gibbs groaned as he opened the cupboard to grab out the first aid kit. "Nessie, I was teasing. I'm only going to clean your knee and put on a Band-Aid."

Janessa stopped fidgeting and poked her tongue out at Aimee.

Gibbs used his foot to pull a chair over for Aimee. "Sit down, Aims."

Aimee sat and crossed her arms. Gibbs smirked to himself. One second she looked repentant and the next minute she looked like she was ready to seek revenge. Is this what life is like with two girls? He'd never had two children before. Kelly hadn't anyone to argue with but him and Shannon. Gibbs washed Janessa's scraped knee with a saline solution and gingerly patted it dry.

"So, how'd did you cut your knee?"

Janessa sniffled. "Aimee pushed me and falled."

"You fell," he corrected.

"Yah, I felled."

"She was being too pokey," argued Aimee, sitting up straighter on her chair. "Papa Jack told her to hurry, but she wasn't listening."

Gibbs frowned as he applied some antiseptic to the bandage and fastened it to Janessa's knee gently. "And you thought pushing her would be helpful?" He asked, giving Aimee a stern glance. Aimee's face paled a little and she stared at the floor.

Gibbs pulled Janessa's pant leg down and lifted her down to the floor. "All better?"

Janessa nodded, perking up a little. "I had chocolate mint chip ice cream!"

Gibbs tidied up the first aid kit and shoved it back into the drawer, tossing the soiled gauze and Band-Aid wrappers in the garbage. "Sounds yummy…what kind did you have Aims?"

Aimee didn't look up and remained silent. Gibbs sighed. Some things didn't change obviously. Aimee was still choosing to be miserable. Gibbs was beginning to wonder if Aimee was just going to be this type of kid her whole life. He certainly hoped not. He knew that she had been through a lot in her young life and it was certainly understandable; however, she was going to be one unhappy little girl living in his house if she chose to remain forever difficult.

"Aimee had banilla."

Gibbs chuckled. "Vanilla," he corrected.

Janessa scrunched up her nose. "That's what I said."

Gibbs laughed again and messed up her hair. "Go finish your puzzle, you little monster."

Janessa pushed her hair out of her face and smiled. "I only gots a little bit more to do, daddy."

"I saw that. Remember, no one can help you. That was our deal, right?"

Janessa nodded solemnly and started walking out of the room. "I want lotsa pineapple on my pizza."

Gibbs scowled. "Pineapple? Eww…you don't put fruit on pizza."

"You promised I could pick alls the toppings!" she giggled.

Gibbs pretended to chase her and she squealed in delight, running from the room laughing. Gibbs stared after her chuckling. Secretly he loved pineapple on pizza. He probably should have felt guilty for trying to manipulate the little girl to pick the toppings he liked too. They had made a bet that she couldn't put together a 300 piece puzzle on her own. Janessa had been working on the puzzle for a couple of days, insisting that she could do it on her own with no help, so Gibbs had added a little incentive to help her stay steadfast in her determination. Gibbs hoped she wouldn't notice that he'd put some random pieces in for her to help. The little pixie had chosen a landscape puzzle and some of the greenery was very difficult to distinguish. He was genuinely amazed at how smart she was at puzzles.

"You mad at me?" came a small voice from behind him.

Gibbs turned and smiled. "Nope."

"I didn't think she'd fall when I pushed her."

"I know."

Gibbs grabbed a drink from the fridge and began to walk towards the door to the basement.

"You gonna punish me?"

"Nope."

"Why? Cuz I just got out of the hospital and you think I'm still sick?"

Gibbs stopped and leaned against the wall. He opened the can of iced tea and took a long drink. He looked at the little girl in front of him, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes, bright and intelligent. His heart skipped a beat in his chest when he let himself think about how close he'd come to losing her, first to David Brody and then to the microchip in her head. Aimee might not ever understand the agony he went through not knowing if he'd ever get to see her again or hold her in his arms. Aimee wasn't sick; she radiated health and strength. The doctors had assured him that she was fine and that there would be no residual effects from surgery. Kids bounced back incredibly fast, and Aimee was a testimony to that. Aimee was a spitfire, and Gibbs didn't want to tame that fire; he wanted to train it and teach her to control it.

"No, because I already know that _you_ know you did a dumb thing. I don't need to tell you that."

Aimee scowled. "And?"

"And what?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You're frustrating. You know that?"

Gibbs had to bite back a smirk. Aimee was still trying to figure him out and was finding his unpredictability disconcerting. Gibbs had to admit that sometimes his randomness was his most powerful deterrent. He would rather be a little bit of mystery. He didn't make it a habit in everything though; some things, like running away or deliberately hurting someone, had very clear consequences, but Aimee wasn't mean-spirited. Gibbs knew that Aimee genuinely loved her sister.

"Wanna help me sand?"

"Not really. Why do spend so much time on that dumb ole boat anyways?"

"I enjoy it. C'mon, Aims, you can hold the clamp for me while I do some gluing. It's hard to do it with one hand."

Aimee sighed dramatically and stood to her feet, following Gibbs down the stairs to the basement. "Didn't stop you from smacking Mak this morning."

Gibbs set his drink down and grabbed the clamp, holding it out to her, not showing his disconcertion that she'd heard his dealings with Makayla. "Did Mak tell you that?"

Aimee shook her head as she took the clamp with a shrug. "I heard the whole thing." She attached the clamp where Gibbs pointed and pinched it as hard as she could but was unsuccessful in closing it.

Gibbs chuckled. "You forgot the glue anyway. C'mon, let me help you. We'll do it together."

Aimee rolled her eyes and pulled the clamp back, watching as Gibbs applied a thick layer of glue on the joint.

"What did you hear?" Gibbs guided her hand and they locked the clamp in place.

"You smacking her."

Gibbs picked up his hand plane and started running it along the wood while at the same time guarding his injured arm, still in a sling to prevent it any more accidental misuse and abuse. He thought about how his house was laid out and knew that the pantry was directly above Abby's room, or the room the Goth stayed in when she slept over. As much as he hated Aimee hearing it, he wasn't one to have regrets for his actions. He did what he felt he had to do and given how Makayla was willing to go home with her aunt, he was thinking his actions had been right on the money.

"I didn't smack her," he corrected, not liking the way she described what he'd done. Smacking sounded like he'd abused her or something. A few well-placed swats to the backside didn't constitute abuse, at least not in his mind. He'd like to think he'd reset her line of thinking, and he had. "I spanked her. There's a difference, and I think you know that. Why were you in Abby's room anyway? I thought that's where Mackie slept last night."

Aimee considered his words and said, "Mackie's scared of skulls, so I said she could sleep in my bed."

"I see. That was kind of you," Gibbs praised as he kept planing the wood rhythmically. Abby's taste in decorating sometimes creeped him out too. From her blown up pictures of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to gunshot shattered backbone to her love for skulls, it all sent shivers up Gibbs spine when he thought about too much.

Aimee pulled herself up on the sawhorse close by and swung her legs back and forth. "You really wanna adopt me, Gibbs?"

Gibbs stopped planing. "On Monday, we have an appointment with Judge Havenaar downtown. Do you know what we're gonna do there?"

Aimee's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"He's gonna ask you if you and Janessa if you want me to be your dad. If you say yes, then you are going to sign a paper saying as much. He's gonna ask me if I want to be your dad, and if I say yes, then I'm gonna sign a paper saying as much. If we sign those papers tomorrow, we're gonna leave that office as the Gibbs family."

Aimee swallowed. "What if I say no and Janessa says yes?"

"You gonna say no?" asked Gibbs, trying to read the look in Aimee's eyes. He couldn't tell if she was baiting him or if she really wanted to know the answer.

"What if I do?"

Gibbs felt like she was daring him to force her to pick him. "Well, then I guess they will try and find you another family you'd like better."

Aimee's eyes filled with tears. Gibbs' heart fluttered in his chest, feeling like it would be ripped out and trampled on the ground. He was good at being aloof and unattached when the situation called for it, but this was breaking him in pieces. All along he thought he was doing something noble, but he hadn't stopped to consider that maybe he wasn't the only one making sacrifices. Picking him meant Aimee and Janessa might never have a mother. Picking him meant the girls were stuck with a traditional, old fashioned old man. Maybe it was selfish of him to expect that Aimee would even want that kind of life. His heart pounded against his ribcage as he tried not to let himself speculate that Aimee might not want him for a father.

Tears fell down the blond haired girl's cheeks and her lower lip trembled. "M-maybe you shouldn't sign that paper, Gibbs." she all but whispered. "I'm not very easy to love."

Gibbs' brows shot to his hairline in bewilderment. This wasn't about him at all. This was about Aimee's insecurities…about her anger…about her inability to accept love. He shook his head and cupped her little chin in his rough hand. "Aimee! I love you; Tony, Abby, Tim and Ziva love you. Papa Jack adores you, as does Janessa. Kiddo, you are very easy to love. I'm telling you right now that I will sign that paper 10 thousand times over if I have to prove how much I love you. I want you to my little girl. I want you to want me to be your dad."

Tears rolled down Aimee's cheeks. "I-I do want you to be my dad, Gibbs, but I can't be the good girl you want me to be. I get mad and I push Janessa. Sometimes I run away when stuff doesn't go my way. I mess up. I'm sneaky. I lie about stuff. I'm. Never. Gonna. Be. Good." Her last words were long and drawn out, staccato-like. Gibbs couldn't help but wonder how a child barely 10 years old could know how to emphasize her words so well. Aimee and Janessa both were highly intelligent children.

Gibbs wiped away a tear on her cheek with his thumb. "Are you afraid of me, Aimee?"

"I'm not afraid…" she said, but Gibbs could feel her trembling beneath his hand.

He pulled her into a tight embrace. "Oh, Aimee. I don't need you to be perfect. I want you to be yourself. You just need to trust me to help you grow up to be the best _you_ you can be. Can you do that?"

He felt Aimee nodded into his chest. Her little body shuddered and sobbed into his sweatshirt. Gibbs hoped the tears were washing away her concerns and worries. After a few moments, he pulled away and looked into her watery blueberry eyes. "What am I gonna go with you?"

Aimee shrugged and smiled through her tears. "I'm sorry I pushed Janessa. Sometimes I just get so mad inside that I can't stop it from coming out at other people."

"I think we need to get you some help with handling that inside mad."

"Like a shrink?" Aimee looked concerned.

Gibbs chuckled. "Something like that, but nothing like anyone you've seen before. This will be someone you enjoy talking too, and if you don't like the person then you don't have to talk to them. After the adoption is settled then I get to make the decisions and that means you have a voice. I promise you that you will always have a voice." He rested his chin on her warm head. Aimee had been anxious for a long time about this. The perspiration in her hair made his chin damp. He wondered how long she'd been fretting about not being good enough.

"I want you to be my dad, Gibbs," she whispered softly.

Gibbs grinned. "And I want to be your dad. Do you think Janessa will agree?"

Aimee pushed him away and punched him gently in the stomach. "She already calls you daddy more than Mr. Gibbs. I'm positive she will agree."

"Are you ever going to just call me dad?" Gibbs felt like he needed to ask her. Aimee called him dad on occasion but not very often. He didn't mind if she called him Gibbs, it was his name after all. But he really did cherish the times she called him daddy.

Aimee's bottom lip quivered as tears fell down her cheeks. "I've never had a real daddy, not really. Jonathan came close to it at one time…until he went weird. I was always jealous of my friends who had dads. They'd take 'em fishing and do stuff with them. My mom was gone so much…" Her voice trailed off as she absentmindedly picked up some sandpaper and sanded with the grain as Gibbs had so often shown her. Gibbs put his hand on hers and guided her untrained hand quietly. He leaned in close so his mouth was right next to her ear. "I am your real daddy, Aimee."

Gibbs couldn't see it, but Aimee's countenance forever changed at that moment; he'd washed away her deepest fear and insecurities. "I love you, daddy."

She didn't have to be good. Gibbs would love her anyway.


	46. Chapter 46

_**Hello Readers!**_

 _ **Thanks for all your lovely reviews! I love to read them and look forward to every one. You make fanfiction so much fun!**_

 _ **Life has been busy in my neck of the woods...so, my updates have been sparse. I hope you will forgive me. I teach part-time and homeschool my children. We just completed the science project a fair...a huge amount of work! But fun! Plus I am teaching a grade nine class how to write their very first research paper...it is a daunting task.**_

 _ **Without further ado...here is the next chapter :)**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 _ **Blessings, Jenny Wrens**_

Gibbs clutched his coffee in his hand more tightly than he meant to as he climbed the stairs from the bullpen to the upper floor. It was unusually quiet at NCIS for a Sunday. Usually, there were teams mulling around and working to tie up loose ends from the week before. Word had come down from the SecNav that everyone should take a mental health day. It happened once in a blue moon that those above would see a need to give everyone a break. With the newest discoveries made from Aimee's microchip, things were about to get intense very quickly. Gibbs knew that people were going to be burning candles at both ends very soon and for a very long time. While those responsible were now known, it was going to take a lot of manpower to dissolve things and it was going to be mayhem. Now was just the calm before the inevitable storm.

Gibbs rounded the corner, stopping to set his coffee down and adjusting the sling on his arm. He grimaced as shooting pains ran down his arm to his fingertips reminding him that he wasn't going to be healing very quickly this time around. As much as he didn't like taking time off when things were so intense after today he was off on leave for two months to allow his shoulder time to heal. For once, he wasn't even fighting the order from Jenny. He needed a break. He was going to embrace the time to spend with his girls and with Makayla too. The time off would allow him to get his life in order, enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with the girls and everyone could start into their new normal routine in the New Year. More importantly, his father could return home and not feel obligated to be his live-in nanny. Gibbs felt positive that Jackson loved every minute with his new granddaughters but the older man was not physically able to continue in the same capacity. It wasn't fair for Gibbs to depend on him so much.

Jenny still had to work, of course, being as she was the Director of NCIS and things were going to get crazy fast. Jenny was damned good at her job and thrived in it. Makayla needed supervision and attention as well, and Gibbs was fine with keeping Makayla with him. He probably needed to mend some fences with her given their last interaction. He didn't like being the heavy, even though it had seemed to knock some sense into her. Jenny had called him the night before to tell him that somehow he'd managed to turn on some kind of switch in the teen girl; Makayla hadn't stopped talking to Jenn all day and evening, opening up about her dreams and aspirations, not to mention her fears as well. The news had put a skip in Gibbs' step for the rest of the evening. He hadn't regretted spanking the teen, and he was glad his instincts had been correct. As usual, his gut hadn't let him down.

Gibbs reached Jenn's office and set his coffee down once again to scrub a hand across his face. He'd arranged for Riley and his mother to come to NCIS. Gibbs wanted to meet Mrs. Janssen and prepare both Riley and her for the meeting with Josh Marshall the following morning. The General was a force to be reckoned with and Gibbs felt it would only be fair to give them a rundown on how things may or may not go.

As Gibbs reached out to announce his presence, he was surprised to hear Riley's voice shout out in anger, "Just shut up, okay? I don't want to talk about it anymore. Look, you can leave anytime, you know. I've been on my own for a long time, and just because suddenly you've found out I'm younger than you thought doesn't mean I suddenly need you."

Gibbs grimaced at the condescending tone of the voice. Gibbs didn't know the context of the outburst and didn't want to speculate, but he didn't appreciate the tone or disrespect in the teen's voice.

"Riley," said an equally irritated female voice. "I don't like this any more than you do, but neither one of us can change things. Let me help you."

"I. DON'T. WANT. YOUR. HELP!" Riley snapped back, his voice a perfect staccato.

Gibbs took that moment to announce his presence with a brief knock and entered the office. It was best to break up the argument before it got out of hand.

The security guard in the room looked glad to see him. "Agent Gibbs, will there be anything else?"

"No, thanks, Jones."

The guard nodded, looked at Riley and his mother briefly and disappeared from the room, closing the door behind him.

Gibbs groaned inwardly, remembering the coffee that he'd left in the outer office. He had purchased it ahead of time knowing that Jenn would likely only have the disgusting decaffeinated kind in her office. These days he needed the caffeine to take the edge off of his nerves. Perhaps, Abby was a bad influence on him.

"Agent Gibbs," began Riley, walking towards him and looking impatient. "Is there a reason why we needed to come to NCIS today? Am I supposed to see the General today?"

Gibbs smiled and shook his head, motioning that Riley should sit down. Riley refused and fidgeted uncomfortably; Gibbs wondered if Riley knew that Gibbs had heard his words to his mother. Gibbs turned to see the petite woman sitting on the sofa at the back of the room. She stood to her feet, straightened her skirt and walked towards him, extending her hand. "You must be Agent Gibbs," she said with a warm smile. "I'm Rachel Janssen, Riley's mom. Thanks so much for all you've done for my son."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Janssen. I hope your accommodations have been comfortable."

The light haired woman's smile came easily; her mannerisms were sincere and inviting as well. If first impressions meant anything, Gibbs liked her; she had a warm presence about her.

"Things have been just fine, thank-you. Everyone has been very kind."

"I'm glad to hear it." Gibbs walked to the side of the room and began to make coffee. "I thought it would be wise for us to take some time this morning to meet and discuss things."

Riley heaved a sigh causing Gibbs to turn and lift a brow. "Something on your mind, Riley?"

"Why did you call my mother?"

Gibbs was glad to see that Riley had seemed to let down his guard with him. The dreaded 'sir' word was gone and Gibbs was left with teenage angst instead. It was fine by Gibbs. He needed Riley to be real with him. Gibbs added the coffee to the filter and attached it to the machine, pushing the button to start it. He turned and leaned against the table, adjusting his sling once again. The contraption never seemed to sit quite right to stay comfortable around his neck. "I didn't. Social services did. You're 16 years old, Riley and like it or not, you need an adult with you. It's the law and in your best interest."

"I'm fine on my own," Riley grumbled; his voice wasn't belligerent like before Gibbs entered the room, but it was easy to see he wasn't impressed.

"Be that as it may, this is the way things are. Any questions?" Gibbs lifted a firm brow, letting Riley know that it wasn't up for debate. Gibbs knew that Riley was a smart kid. Given how they'd had a little history together now, Gibbs didn't think he needed to explain himself further. The last thing Gibbs needed was to have to deal with another teenager with a chip on his shoulder.

Mrs. Janssen took several steps towards Riley and put a hand on his forearm. "Agent Gibbs is just doing his job, Riley."

Riley yanked his arm away. "I know he is, but I don't have to like any of this, mom."

"I have to say that none of us like the current situation, Riley, but decisions were made and things happened that led us to where we are now. Every decision has consequences."

"And this is my fault?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Riley, knock the chip off your shoulder and stop playing the victim for a minute." His voice slipped back into the parental tone he found himself using a little too often lately. He inwardly winced when he saw Riley's face flush. "This isn't about placing blame on anyone except where it belongs and that's right in your Drill Instructor's lap."

Riley heaved a loud sigh, crossed his arms and turned to stare out the window.

"First things first, how much have you shared with your mother?" continued Gibbs, feeling sympathetic towards the teenager. Riley had gone from making his own decisions to having all power being ripped away from him. He had a reason to be irritable and Gibbs could respect that.

"Riley hasn't told me much at all, Agent Gibbs," offered Mrs. Janssen.

"Because it's none of your business…" Riley snapped loudly but he didn't turn to face them.

Gibbs turned to speak directly to Mrs. Janssen. "Did children's services brief you?"

"They told me that Riley was assaulted by his D.I. but no, there hasn't been much time for details. Riley's social worker said she would be in touch to recommend some counselling options…" Gibbs couldn't miss the tears welling up in the woman's eyes. "Also, my ex-husband attacked Riley in the hospital…"

"I handled it…" shouted Riley, running a hand through his hair. Gibbs noticed his hand was trembling. It was plain to Gibbs that Riley wasn't handling any of this well at all, and for whatever reason, he was trying to push his mother away too. Gibbs really had no idea of the dynamics between them, so it was difficult for him to know how to proceed.

Gibbs walked around the table and sat down, resting his arm on the table. He needed to get to the point about Marshall and Riley's mother was going to have to be okay with what he said.

"Okay, bear with me through this, Mrs. Janssen, and if at any time you need a few moments to digest what I'm saying, please tell me. None of this will be easy to hear."

Mrs. Janssen's face paled as she sat down. Her eyes remained swimming in tears but she continued to blink them back. The room began to fill with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee as Gibbs began to recount for Riley's mother what he knew about the situation. From the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Riley stiffen and clench his fists. To his credit, the boy didn't interrupt him.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs poured Mrs. Janssen a cup of coffee and allowed the woman some time to gain her wits about her. By the time Gibbs had finished, Riley had isolated himself to the furthest corner of the room with his head leaning against the wall. Mrs. Janssen had dissolved into tears. Riley's story wasn't for the faint of heart, and Gibbs had hated to be the one to share it. Under normal circumstances, he would have allowed social services to do the honours, but Gibbs needed Riley's mother to be onboard so Marshall could nail Adams as soon as possible. Every day the man was around recruits was one day too long in Gibbs books. They had witness accounts but Riley's testimony would be the final nail in the coffin. Gibbs knew that Riley needed that closure. If everything was done by the book, Riley wouldn't even need to testify. Adams would crucify himself, and Gibbs was certain that he would.

Gibbs set the mug down in front of Mrs. Janssen and sat down once again. Riley hadn't turned to face him since he began speaking. His head was resting against the wall; his entire body sagging in defeat.

"I'm sorry I had to dump that on you like that," said Gibbs, his voice soft and sympathetic.

Mrs. Janssen wiped her eyes with a tissue she had fished out of her purse. "I had no idea…"

"Riley has the chance now to hold this drill instructor accountable. Brigadier General Josh Marshall from Parris Island is coming tomorrow morning with a JAG attorney to meet with Riley, and yourself. They want to ask Riley some questions and get a statement. Riley has plenty of friends in the corps that witnessed the abuse and they have already spoken up. He's a remarkable young man., Mrs. Janssen. By rights, if things had been different, he would have earned his eagle, globe and anchor and been continuing as a Marine and no one would have been the wiser."

"But, he's only 16," she said, weakly.

Gibbs nodded. "Yah, that's the tricky part, and for better or for worse, this is all going to work out in Riley's best interest. He's a minor. None of the U.A charges apply, falsifying records and signing legal documents won't count against him either." Gibbs' voice softened and his voice filled with emotion. "The truth of the matter is Riley is a hero in my books. He helped rescue my daughter and he kept her safe when she was alone; I will never be able to repay him for that. Helping Riley get through this hiccup with the Marines is the least I can do."

"Thank- you, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs reached out and patted her hand reassuringly. "Do you have any questions for me?"

She shook her head and wrung her hands. Gibbs was surprised but he didn't show it. He had been expecting the woman to berate him about the abuse of her son, to strike out at him and blame him just for the plain fact that she needed a scapegoat but she didn't. Instead, she just looked on him with kindness. It was refreshing and he had to say he wasn't used to it.

"Riley?" Gibbs turned to address Riley. Gibbs saw the youth stiffen but he still didn't turn around. "Do you have any questions?" Gibbs waited for the boy to answer. He knew things were very rough on the young man right now. He was juggling a lot of emotions and trying hard to remain in control. It would be hard for a mature adult to cope with what Riley had had happen to him.

"I don't want her in the room," Riley said firmly as he turned around and walked towards Gibbs.

Mrs. Janssen looked up in surprise but remained silent.

"Riley, you're 16…"

"Would you stop saying that?" Riley shouted. "I told you I'm 18, and I've been making my own decisions for a long time now. I don't need her there!"

Gibbs pushed back his chair and stood to his feet. Having Riley towering over him was giving the boy the illusion of power. Gibbs didn't have a problem with the kid asserting himself, but he didn't like the disrespect. He could take a lot of things from kids but not disrespect and it was better to stop things right away before they escalated.

"Hey, that's enough. Sit." He ordered.

Riley's eyes widened a little and he took a step back when Gibbs stood up. Gibbs had both a couple of inches as well as pounds on him, not to mention Riley knew Gibbs wouldn't take any crap from him or anyone else. Riley walked around the table and sat down.

Gibbs leaned his hand on the table towards Riley. "You are a minor and you need a representative in that room. If you don't wish your mother to come in then who else shall it be?"

Riley blinked. "No one. I can represent myself just fine."

Gibbs shook his head. "Not an option." Gibbs didn't want to get into why Riley didn't want his mother to be in the room. It was probably none of his business.

Riley stood up again, fire in his eyes. "Yes, it is, damn it; I've been on my own a long time and I don't need her anymore."

"Riley, honey, I didn't know…" began Mrs. Janssen.

He pounded his fist on the table. "Yes, you did! You knew what dad was doing but you never did anything to stop it. You just left! You left me alone with him. What the hell did you think he was going to do with that kinda power, huh?"

Gibbs swallowed realizing that Riley's emotional outburst wasn't anything to do with what Gibbs wanted him to deal with in the here and now. There were some deep-seated issues between the teenager and his mother, and Gibbs didn't have the time or the training to deal with that. Riley and his mother needed professional help that he couldn't give, but Gibbs could hear Riley's heart, and the kid needed an advocate whether he liked it or not. It seemed like Riley needed more than an advocate, he needed someone to step to the plate and go to bat for him. Gibbs wasn't sure he had it in him to be that person. He already had more than he could handle.

Gibbs looked at Mrs. Janssen whose face paled and seemed at a loss for words. He held up a hand to stop Riley from continuing his rant. "Okay, okay. I hear you." Gibbs turned to Mrs. Janssen, offering her a sympathetic smile. "Mrs. Riley, with your permission, I can have some papers drawn up for you to sign waving your right to sit in the meeting and allowing me to take your place. Would you be willing to do that?"

Mrs. Janssen looked at Riley for a moment and then reluctantly nodded her head.

Gibbs turned to Riley. "Work for you, Riley?"

Riley sat down once again, deflated. Gibbs took that as affirmation. He pulled out his cell phone and took several minutes to type a quick message to Legal. It wouldn't take long to get the paperwork drawn up and delivered. NCIS was like a well-oiled machine. Time-sensitive things were never a problem.

"Okay, Riley, your mother needs to be here as I explain what will happen tomorrow with the General. If you're going to raise hell about that, get it out of your system so we can move on."

Riley looked up and signed. "Whatever."

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face and smacked his hand to the table sternly. "First off, that attitude stops here and now. You have manners; use them."

Mrs. Janssen sat up straighter at Gibbs' stern words and looked at Gibbs in bewilderment. He nodded in apology to her but glared at Riley. They didn't have time for teenage angst right now and Riley needed to know that. Marshall wouldn't put up with it and it wouldn't be helpful to their situation.

Gibbs looked at the young man but Riley didn't say anything.

"Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, sir," Riley said, his voice sounding more contrite.

Gibbs nodded his approval. He'd take a sir now, as much as he didn't like it. Riley needed to be attentive and drop the chip off his shoulder for a while.

"Alright."

Gibbs started to explain how the meeting with the General would go. He could only hope that the man would be in a good mood and that Riley would be civil. Everything was doubtful at this point.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs wandered up the stairs, yawning and hoping to catch a few winks before Abby brought the girls home from church. Abby had been on his back lately insisting that Janessa and Aimee needed God's presence in their lives. Aside from his, Gibbs wasn't opposed to God being in anyone's life. God and he hadn't been on speaking terms since Shannon and Kelly died, and he hadn't had a reason to change the arrangement through the years. It seemed to Gibbs that God didn't seem to mind it any more than he did, so he let sleeping dogs lie.

Abby was appalled that Gibbs wasn't doing better by the girls when it came to religion. Her southern upbringing wouldn't let her forget God; she was a devout Catholic, and Gibbs couldn't begrudge her for that. Given she was a Goth, Gibbs always had to smile when he thought of Abby and her nun friends at the local convent. He'd met the ladies a time or two and they were positively smitten with Abby. No one could resist Abby's charm, which was well and for sure. Aside from the fact that Gibbs had been brought up in Pennsylvania and almost everyone in his neck of the woods was either Amish or Baptist, Gibbs had made no plans to raise his girls with faith in anything but themselves. Of course, Abby would never stand for that, so Gibbs gave in, for his own piece of mind, and allowed her to take the girls to church. As long as he didn't have to go, he supposed he was fine with his girls meeting God and making up their own minds if they wanted to pursue a relationship with the Big Guy.

Gibbs reached the top of the stairs and headed towards his room, leaving thoughts of God behind him when he heard a thudding noise that captured his attention and made him keep walking past his room towards his girls' room. He peeked in and was surprised to see Aimee looking up at him with a guilty expression on her face. A book lay on the floor in the doorway, obviously the culprit of the noise he had heard. He saw Aimee shove something under her pillow when she thought he was looking.

"Uh…hi Gibbs, you're home." She was as surprised to see him as he was to see her.

Gibbs strode in the room, picking up a book from the floor and handing it to Aimee. "Drop something?"

Aimee took it and squirmed uncomfortably. "How's Riley?"

"He'll be okay," he said not really wanting to go into any details. He was concerned enough about Riley and he didn't want to force himself to think about it at the moment. "I thought you were going to church with Abby." He sat down on Janessa's bed across from Aimee, supporting his injured arm.

Aimee shrugged. "I didn't feel like going, so Papa Jack said I could stay home as long I was quiet."

"Papa Jack taking a nap?"

"Yah, I think so."

Gibbs looked at Aimee closely, wondering why she looked so vaguely reminiscent of someone who'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. He knew the little girl wouldn't offer him anything of her own volition, so he determined to figure out what she was up to.

"So, what did Nancy Drew do to you to make you hurl her across the room?"

Aimee fingered the book and shrugged. "Nothing."

"You didn't like the ending?" he prompted with a teasing smirk.

Aimee smirked back and then groaned. "Gibbs, it wasn't the dumb book."

"I kinda thought not. You're obviously upset about something, though. Wanna talk about it?"

Aimee's face reddened. "No." Gibbs continued to stare at her and Aimee kept fidgeting. "Stop staring at me," she snapped, standing up and walking towards her dresser.

"Aims, is something on your mind? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Aimee heaved a visibly heavy sign, opened her drawer and pulled out a picture. She fidgeted a little, rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet and then held up the picture so Gibbs could see.

"Will you tell me about her?"

Gibbs' mouth grew as dry as cotton as he gapped at the picture in disbelief. He stood to his feet and reached for the photograph with a trembling hand. "Where did you get this?"

Aimee sucked in her bottom lip and looked at him sheepishly. "Promise you won't get mad?"

Gibbs kept looking at the picture, drawn back into the past. He almost didn't hear Aimee's words but then he forced the memory back down and looked up. "Answer me," he demanded, his voice a little more clipped than he meant. "Where did you get the picture?

"I…uh…well…," stammered Aimee, looking nervous.

Gibbs looked down to see the sweet face of his always missed daughter, Kelly, smiling back at him. He remembered the day he'd taken the picture. It had been a few days before her ninth birthday and just two weeks before he was deployed. He'd walked into her room and surprised her by snapping a picture with the new Polaroid camera he'd bought for her as an early birthday present. Kelly and he had spent such a fun afternoon snapping pictures of each other.

"I found it," Aimee finally managed to spit out but she continued to fidget and look awkward.

Gibbs gingerly fingered the picture and looked over towards Aimee's pillow. What else was she hiding from him? Before she realized what he was doing, he strode over to Aimee's bed and tossed aside the pillow to find something he hadn't set eyes on in years: Kelly's scrapbook.

"Gibbs, I can explain," said Aimee, rushing over to grab his arm.

Gibbs dropped the photograph on the bed and reached for the book. He felt like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. He looked up at Aimee with tears swimming in his eyes. He couldn't help it. Anytime he saw a picture of Kelly, it sucked the air from his lungs. It was the reason why he'd hidden them all away. It hurt too much to see them. The pain just never seemed to go away. He thought he'd buried the emotions deep enough that they wouldn't surface again but seeing the scrapbook had shaken him. He hated that it still could. There had to come a time when he would be over it. He needed to be stronger. How much longer would it cut so deeply?

"Where did you find this?" He murmured with less heat this time. He knew exactly where he'd stored the book. He just wanted to hear Aimee tell him.

"In a box in your closet." Her voice wobbled a little and Gibbs could hear tears in her voice.

Gibbs told himself to breathe. "Why were you in my closet?" He felt like it was a fair question.

Aimee puffed out her cheeks. "You never talk about her."

Gibbs was taken aback. He hadn't thought of sharing Kelly with anyone else.

"I wanted to know what she was like. I mean, you've never even shown me and Ness a picture of her or anything. Papa Jack talks about her all the time, but you never do."

Gibbs swallowed the lump in her throat as he looked down at the scrapbook in his lap. On the front page was a picture of Kelly riding a horse on the beach. It was a photo he'd taken when they'd been on vacation in California. It had been such a stunningly gorgeous day with Shan and Kelly. Kelly had fallen in love with riding that day.

"Are you mad at me?"

Gibbs looked up from the scrapbook and had to ask himself the same question. Was he angry that she snooped in his closet? Was he upset that she had touched Kelly's things? He wasn't even sure himself. His heart ached a little when he saw tears swimming in her eyes and threatening to fall. She was asking for reassurance but he wasn't ready to give it yet because he just didn't know how he felt.

"What else did you find?" he asked, not answering her question.

Aimee sat down on the bed beside him, keeping a little distance to be on the safe side. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a locket and holding it up for Gibbs to see. Gibbs recognized it right away. Jackson had given the little silver locket to Kelly on her birthday. "Is the picture of Kelly and Shannon?"

Gibbs took the small heart-shaped locket from her hand and opened it. He felt words catch in his throat but he forced himself to speak anyway. "The little girl is Kelly and the woman is my mother, Ann Gibbs. We named Kelly after my mother: Kelly Ann."

Aimee shuffled a little closer to him to get a better look. "That's a very pretty name. Kelly looks a lot like her. What happened to her?"

"She died of cancer when I was a kid."

"I bet that was real hard on you. I miss my mom nearly every day. Do you miss her?"

Aimee's words were a stark reality check, and part of Gibbs' heart leapt for joy. Aimee was opening up about her mother and that was a huge leap of faith for her. Janessa was always eager to share her feelings but Aimee never was. It was an amazing step in the right direction. Perhaps if he allowed himself to open up about his hurts, it would help Aimee. It was agonizing to consider but Gibbs was willing to try it. Aimee was worth it.

Gibbs nodded. "Every day, Aims. Every day."

He did miss his mother. He missed her more even now. Ann Gibbs had had a way with children, much like people told him he did. He always wished he'd have had more time with her, just like he always wished he'd have had more time with Shannon and Kelly. No one had any idea how much he ached inside for more time. Time was a funny thing. People wasted far too much of it being angry and hating other people.

"Gibbs?"

"Yah?" Gibbs continued to stare at the pictures in the locket. He'd forgotten how much Kelly favoured his mother. He always thought the little girl looked like Shannon, with her auburn hair and freckles, but in truth, Kelly was a picture of his mother.

"You know lots about me and Ness, but we don't know much about you. I mean we know you had a wife and daughter but you never talk about them. You hide everything away in boxes and pretend like they never existed."

Gibbs handed the locket back to Aimee and opened the scrapbook. The pictures assaulted him with memories so much that he had to shut the book again. He forced himself to take a deep breath. He had to do this for Aimee and for Janessa. He had to push through the pain for them.

"I guess it's because the memories never stop hurting," he tried to explain. He knew that if anyone could understand that, Aimee could. She'd lost her mother and her baby sister.

"Will it ever stop hurting?"

Gibbs turned and looked into Aimee's dark blue eyes. It was a question he'd asked himself for over 20 years. Gibbs hadn't allowed himself to heal because he was always pushing the pain away and not dealing with it. He knew it was the truth, and he didn't want that for Aimee and Janessa. He needed to stop wallowing in the past and deal with it. Gibbs balanced the scrapbook on his knee and wrapped an arm around Aimee. He wanted to do better so he could show them. Living in the past wasn't going to help him move on into the present and the future.

"I think it stopped hurting a little bit today, thanks to you." Gibbs pressed a kiss on the side of Aimee's head making her smile. Gibbs looked at her fingering the locket fondly. "You can have that if you want it. I think Kelly would have wanted you to have it."

Aimee's face brightened. "You really think so?"

"I know so." Gibbs set the scrapbook on his lap aside and took the necklace, releasing the clasp. It wasn't easy to do given his aching shoulder but he managed to fasten it around her neck. "I love you, Aimee Gibbs."

Aimee leaned back into him with a sigh of relief and giggled. "I thought for sure you were gonna kill me for snooping in your stuff."

Gibbs laughed, "Well, come to think of it…" He reached out and started to tickle her around the ribs. Aimee shrieked and wiggled around, kicking her feet as Gibbs attacked her with one hand. The more he thought about, the more he realized how right Aimee truly was. He knew so much about Janessa and Aimee but they knew so little about him. He needed to be more open with them starting with the boxes in his closet. He'd saved a lot of toys, books and other memorabilia that belonged to Kelly. Maybe it was time for him to share her.


	47. Chapter 47

_**Hi Readers,**_

 _ **Thanks so much for the lovely reviews.**_

 _ **Special thanks to 90theGeneral09 who helped write the scene between Riley, General Marshall and Gibbs (90% of that scene belongs to him). General Marshall is his OC, and I've borrowed him for this story. 90theGeneral09 has been a fantastic help to me when it comes to the military aspect of this fanfic.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 _ **Blessings,**_

 _ **Jenny Wren**_

Gibbs carried a squirming, unhappy Janessa as he walked down the hallway to the bullpen. Her body was rigid, fighting against him holding her but he ignored her displeasure and glanced behind him to see if Riley was keeping up. Riley silently followed him looking distracted and anxious. Gibbs had picked up Riley on the way into NCIS simply because he wanted to have some time to talk with the boy before Marshall arrived. Poor kid looked more than a little worse for wear, but Gibbs had his own problems to deal with and hadn't had a moment to ask the teenager what was bothering him. Gibbs speculated it had a lot to do with meeting the infamous General Marshall face to face. Fear of the unknown could be paralyzing.

Suddenly, Janessa threw her body backwards, something the five-year-old often did when she was protesting him carrying her. Gibbs stumbled to readjust her weight very nearly dropping her. His adrenalin spiked so he had to take a deep breath, checking himself to make sure he didn't react irritably. Every time Janessa did that, it caught him off guard and made him flinch in fear that he'd drop her.

He stopped and narrowed his eyes at her sternly. "Stop that, Janessa! I almost dropped you."

Janessa scowled and hid her head in his shirt, dissolving into sulky tears. Gibbs sighed and continued walking. He'd hoped to let her play at the daycare that morning while he was in the meeting with Riley and General Marshall. His father had taken Aimee to a dentist appointment, and Gibbs thought it would make things easier if he took Janessa with him. Things hadn't worked out as well as he'd planned. He didn't know what happened. Janessa had been in a joyful mood, happily chattering away to anyone who'd listen on the way into NCIS. He'd signed her in with Mrs. Davies, her daycare teacher, but then before he'd even hung up her jacket, Janessa was being reprimanded for kicking another child. Gibbs had been flabbergasted. It was so unlike her to lash out at another playmate. It just wasn't in her nature. Not having the time to deal with it right there and knowing that Mrs. Davies didn't need a meltdown on her hands, Gibbs scooped up Janessa and determined to find a few minutes to speak with her before his meeting.

"What time is the General coming?" asked Riley catching up and standing beside Gibbs.

Gibbs continued walking. "In about an hour. You okay?"

Riley shrugged and continued to lag behind Gibbs. Gibbs knew the youth was nervous, and he hoped to get a few minutes to chat with the kid before the General arrived. They rounded the corner and came into the bullpen only to smack right into a highly overexcited Abby.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!" she sang, jumping up and down in a way only Abby could at 7 am on a Monday morning.

Gibbs shifted Janessa's weight and continued to his desk, setting the disgruntled five year old to her feet. Janessa threw herself to the floor dramatically continuing to sob over the injustice of her circumstances.

"G'Morning, Abbs. You're here bright and early. I didn't think there was any forensics on the docket for this morning." Gibbs nodded at Riley to take a seat in the extra chair by his desk. Riley obliged, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

Abby jumped up and down in front of him. "You're correct, oh wise one."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "So, why are you in so early?" He eyed the folder she was holding seeing that it was marked as a solved cold case.

"Remember last year when we uncovered the animal shelter that was abusing the dogs and…"

Gibbs stepped over Janessa and walked around his desk. "Yes, and I also remember putting the case in the hands of the humane society."

"Well, yes, you did, but this morning on my way to work, I took a scenic route…"

Gibbs lifted a brow. "Abbs, it's 07:00 hours; what time did you get up?" He knew that Abby was at least 30 minutes from NCIS and that was if traffic wasn't bad which it usually was in the morning.

Abby grinned at him sheepishly. "Caf-pow overload, Gibbs."

Gibbs glared at her. She knew he didn't approve of her staying up all night because of caffeine overload, but he didn't have time to address it with her this morning either. "Abby!" he scolded.

She raised her hand in surrender. "I know! I know! I promise to lay off the caffeine today. Anyway, as I was saying, I drove by the shelter and Gibbs! You told me they were going to shut that place down! I saw handlers outside with several dogs and you should have…"

"Abby," interrupted Gibbs, hoping to stop her before she started her tirade. "I told you that the proper authorities were notified. NCIS has no jurisdiction over animal shelters. If that place is still open, it's none of our concern."

Abby scowled. "Gibbs, it's everyone's duty to protect those who don't have a voice…"

"Abby, get to the point," he growled. "What does this have to do with you?" He knew there was a point or she wouldn't be singing his name at 7 am on a Monday morning when there was no case and no forensics.

Excitement flooded her features once more. "Since I'm not needed for forensics right now and probably not much this week, I would like permission…"

"No."

Abby stopped with a pout.

"I wanna go back to daycare!" shouted Janessa from the floor as she kicked around but still didn't stand to her feet.

"After we talk, little miss," said Gibbs patiently, looking down at her over his desk.

Janessa sat up and crossed her arms with a scowl on her face.

"But Gibbs…" began Abby, ignoring Janessa's interruption.

Gibbs walked around his desk once more and put himself right in Abby's personal bubble. "No field trips, Abbs. If you want to take on the injustice, go through the right hoops on your own time. There is plenty to do here."

Abby took a step back. "I only wanted to…"

"The answer is no."

Abby narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in protest.

Gibbs looked down at his youngest daughter and then up at his oldest and couldn't help closing his eyes to shake his head. This was surreal. Two girls tantruming at him before he'd even had one cup of coffee. They were lucky he didn't skin them both alive where they stood.

"Abbs, look, come over to my place tonight, and we'll talk about it then. Right now, I have too much on my plate to fight with you about saving the animals. No, field trips. Do you hear me?"

Abby sighed and dropped her hands to her side. "Fine, no field trips," she acquiesced. "But, can I at least go take some pictures for evidence?"

"No," Gibbs said firmly, ignoring the grouchy glare he received. "Now, take Riley to conference room three for me. Keep him company while I talk to Ness for a moment."

Riley stood to his feet in protest. "I don't need a babysitter, Agent Gibbs. I can find the room myself."

Gibbs turned to Riley as he fished the 'Accompanied Minor' identification tag from his pocket and held it out towards the kid. "Put this on and go with Abby. I won't be long."

Riley snatched the tag from Gibbs' outstretched in hand in frustration and affixed it to his shirt.

"Not even one picture?" Abby looked at Gibbs with her large puppy dog eyes.

"Abby!"

She made a face at him and said, "Okay, fine," then looked at Riley. "Riley, did you heard about the Ryerson Animal shelter scandal last year?"

Riley cast a pitiful look in Gibbs' direction as Abby propelled him around the corner of the bullpen. As they walked away, Gibbs could still hear Abby chattering about the neglected and abused animals making Gibbs shake his head at the Goth's stubborn determination. At least Riley's mind would be kept too busy to think about General Marshall's visit.

Gibbs turned his attention to the little person at his feet, still sitting cross-legged with her arms crossed in defiance. He stooped down to her level and looked her straight in the eye.

"You ready to talk about what happened?

Janessa glowered at him and snapped, "NO."

Gibbs took her gently by the arm and pulled her to her feet. "Well, we're going to talk about it anyway." He led her over to his desk, sitting down and pinning her between his knees so that they were face to face. "Why did you kick the other little girl?"

Janessa put her hands over her face, refusing to look at him. Gibbs pulled her hands away and offered her a kind smile. "You woke me up this morning singing such a pretty song and now you're all grumpy. What happened?"

"Maddie King is a stinky fart butt," ground out the small girl, trying to break away from his knee lock up.

Gibbs had to bite back a smirk at the little girl's words. "Why is she a stinky fart butt?"

"She called me an orpfin."

Gibbs furrowed a brow. "What's an orpfin?"

Janessa sighed and shook her head, looking exasperated with him. "Daddy, everybody knows what an orpfin is."

"How about you tell me anyway."

"Orpfins gots no mommy and daddy."

Gibbs smirked in understanding. "Ah I see; you mean an orphan." Sometimes he felt like he needed a dictionary filled with five-year-old euphemisms so he could decipher what the child was talking about half the time.

"Maddie calls me an orpfin every day."

"Is that what happened this morning?"

Janessa nodded. "I gots so mad, I kicked her."

Gibbs pulled her up on his knee and hugged her. "Sometimes other kids can say mean things, can't they?"

Janessa nodded, tears swimming in her eyes.

"Do you think it would help if I told her I'm your daddy?"

Janessa shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Cuz she says you only gets one daddy and mine died."

Gibbs pressed a kiss on her dimpled, chubby cheek. "Nessie, remember I told you that after lunch we're going to meet with the judge?"

"Yuh huh."

"Well, after we see the judge today, you won't be an orphan anymore because the adoption will be final."

Janessa's eyes lit up with excitement. "You mean it?"

"Honour bright," he pledged sincerely, crossing his heart.

Janessa grinned. "Yippee!" she shouted and threw her hands up in the air, nearly smacking Gibbs' face in the process. She wrapped her tiny arms around Gibbs' neck and hugged him saying, "I'm gonna punch her nose if she calls _me_ an orpfin again."

Gibbs pulled her arms away and cupped her chin in his hand. "Janessa, if I hear about you punching anyone, you'll be in big trouble with me. That's never okay."

Janessa's lip quivered at his sudden reprimand. "But…"

"No, buts. You kicked Maddie hard enough to make her cry. That's wrong!" he scolded. Tears swam in her blue eyes. "I want you to apologize to her." Janessa nodded with big eyes and Gibbs softened, releasing her chin. "It's not okay to hurt other kids no matter what they do or say to you, do understand me?"

"Yes, daddy," said Janessa, tears running down her cheeks.

Gibbs hugged her. "Honey, I know that sometimes words can hurt too. I'm not saying they don't, but punching or kicking someone can really injure them. If someone does or says something that hurts you, ask for help from an adult."

Janessa leaned against his chest and was quiet. He took a glance at his watch and saw that time was growing short on him. He really needed to speak with Riley before the General arrived. He set Janessa's feet to the floor and stood up. "Are you ready to go back to daycare now? I heard something about today being show and share."

Janessa shrugged, looking uncertain. "But, I didn't bring anything to share."

Gibbs took his daughter by the hand and led her out of the bullpen towards the NCIS daycare centre. As he walked, he fingered around in his pocket and pulled out a pen. He held it out to Janessa. "Here, you can share this."

Janessa wrinkled her nose as she took the writing instrument into her hand with a puzzled expression. "But, it's just a pen."

"Oh, no it's not. That there pen is the same one I'm gonna use to sign the papers with the judge this afternoon. It's the official adoption pen."

Janessa looked up at her dad and then down at the pen. "Wow!"

"Can you take good care of it for me?"

She nodded with a broad smile on her face. They reached the outer door of the daycare and Gibbs signed the attendance board before opening the door for Janessa to enter. She walked in and he followed behind her. "I need to go talk to Riley now, okay?"

"Okay, daddy."

"Atta girl." He kissed the top of her head. "Do you want me to talk to Maddie after you apologize?"

"Do I hafta 'apologise to her, daddy? I don't feel sorry."

Gibbs hunched down to her level with a stern look on his face. "Should I help you feel sorry?"

Janessa's eyes widened and Gibbs felt certain that she knew exactly what he meant by 'helping' her feel sorry. She shook her head emphatically.

"Do you want to talk with Maddie for you?" he repeated.

"No, I can do it," she said a little pitifully, forcing Gibbs to bite back a smirk.

Gibbs rose to his full height and messed up her hair. "Okay, go have fun."

Janessa hugged his legs and ran into the room. Gibbs nodded towards Mrs. Davies briefly and left the room. As he walked away, a smile played on his lips. His life was very different than he'd expected and often he felt overwhelmed and out of his element, flying by the seat of his pants; but, he couldn't have been happier.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs set a can of iced tea in front of Riley making the teenager jump slightly. Gibbs smiled at him kindly and sat across from him finally indulging in his first cup of coffee of the day. He took a long drink before setting the cup down. Worst coffee he'd ever tasted and it always was in the conference rooms but right now he didn't care. It was coffee and he wasn't complaining. Riley wrapped his hands around the cold can and wiped at the condensation with his finger.

"Nervous?" asked Gibbs.

Riley shrugged. "A little."

"Can't say as I blame you. General Marshall has a reputation that precedes him, but the thing about scuttlebutt is that it's usually more legend than truth."

Riley puffed out his cheeks and took a sip of his drink. "I only met him once and he scared the crap out of me."

Gibbs chuckled. "He seems to do that to people, but he really is a good guy. Trust me on that."

Riley nodded but stared at his drink, still fidgeting.

"How are things between you and your mom? You were waiting outside the hotel when I picked you up this morning."

Riley stiffened. "Things are fine, Agent Gibbs." The words were clipped.

Gibbs raised a brow. "Doesn't sound okay."

Riley clenched his fist and pounded it on the table. "I said things are okay, alright? Now drop it!"

The outburst didn't rattle Gibbs; instead, he took another long drink of his coffee. He could feel the caffeine working to calm his nerves and relax him. Maybe he should have offered Riley a coffee instead.

"You're going to have to curb that temper of yours while the General is here. One outburst like that and you just might find yourself learning a lesson or two about decorum. I'm very sure you won't enjoy it." Gibbs shot Riley a pointed look.

Riley swallowed.

"Do you have anything you want to ask me before he gets here?"

Riley worried his bottom lip. "What happens after today?"

Gibbs sized up the sixteen-year-old in front of him. It was a good question. After this meeting was complete, Riley's contact with NCIS and the Marines was finished. Riley needed to be older before he could join the Marines again if that was even what he wanted to do after everything that happened to him. The boy's problems would be handled by social services and the rest was in their hands. Hopefully, Riley would get the help he needed; same with his parents. The family was definitely in crisis and required all the help they could get.

"What do you want to see happen, Riley?"

The boy shrugged and was silent a moment before saying, "Will I see you again?"

Gibbs' heart skipped a beat as he looked deeply into Riley's pleading eyes. What was Riley asking him? Did the boy want to see him again? Gibbs felt taken aback. He hadn't expected Riley to ask him that.

"Would you like me to check in with you?" Gibbs couldn't stop himself from asking the question. Riley had touched his heart in a way he couldn't explain. If he was honest with himself, he didn't want to lose contact with the young man either. He'd like to know what became of him. Part of Gibbs even hoped he could convince Riley to not give up on the Marines, despite what happened to him. Riley was a good kid and he deserved a good life. The Marines could be a family to him.

"I'd like that, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled warmly. "Okay, I'll keep in touch." Gibbs reached into the pocket of his dress jacket and pulled out his NCIS card, complete with his office extension and cell number. He flipped it over and jotted down his home number and slid it across the table. "Call me anytime."

Riley took the card and a small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. Just then, the half-open meeting door swung open fully, and Brigadier General Josh Marshall stepped in, followed by a Marine major.

XxXxNCISxXxX

The boss of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island was the poster image of a Marine officer: erect, lean, and flawlessly-attired. Riley immediately noticed the five rows of ribbons that adorned his olive-green coat, one of which indicated two awards of the prestigious Navy Cross, and another, three awards of the Silver Star. Riley wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the "oak leaves" for as many as five Bronze stars, and at least three Purple hearts. A five-pointed Silver star gleamed on each of the General's shoulders.

Marshall surveyed the room with a practiced eye, taking note of the absence of Riley's parents. He had expected to see at least one parent in attendance and was surprised to see there wasn't. One glance in Gibbs' direction told him what he needed to know. Gibbs was representing Riley's guardian in the proceedings. Marshall said nothing for several moments, then took a seat directly across from Riley and began focussing his attention on the young man. For some reason, out of uniform and his hair a little longer, the boy looked much younger than the picture in his file.

Riley didn't even blink until Marshall reached over and took a file off the stack the major had taken out of his briefcase.

"So, you're the one who started all this," Marshall said finally.

"Yes, sir," Riley managed to say, wetting his dry lips and inwardly bracing himself for the infamously explosive Marshall temper he'd been warned about.

"This is quite the mess you've gotten yourself into," Marshall observed, his voice stern. "We've had some unusual cases at Parris Island, but never one like yours."

Riley swallowed and looked at Gibbs for courage. To say he was terrified of what would be said next was an understatement. Gibbs nodded at him calmly and Riley forced himself to look back at the general once again.

"Major Knight?" Marshall continued, looking to his aid for the legal explanation.

The major looked at Riley with kindness. "Legally, the entire term you existed as a recruit in the United States Marine Corps is null and void as you signed an enlistment contract as a minor. The Marine Corps has no grounds of Unauthorized Absence, or for fraudulent enlistment as a minor has no power to sign a contract with the Armed Forces."

"So, you see, Agent Gibbs," General Marshall said, looking in Gibbs' direction this time. "The boy gets to go free. He's safe; no charges will be filed against him. His record will be purged because none of it is legally valid to begin with."

Marshall took a packet of stapled-together papers and passed them across the table to Riley. With his pulse pounding a deafening beat in his ear, Riley took the papers and flipped through them silently.

"That is a summary that JAG prepared of the events that led to you going UA over a month ago based on testimony gathered from Gunnery Sergeant Adams, from the chain of command above him and from other Drill Instructors and recruits who were present at the time." He paused, looked at Gibbs in irritation and then added, "I'm sure none of this will be any surprise to NCIS, seeing how they invited themselves in to do plenty of questioning of their own."

"Needs of the service, General," said Gibbs, polite but matter-of-fact and definitely unapologetic. "During certain investigations, NCIS notifies garrison and unit commanders strictly as a courtesy and at their convenience and discretion. You don't have any case against us either."

"Believe me, Gunny, if I did, I'd be raising hell about it."

"You mean, you didn't already?"

Marshall grunted. "I've never raised hell in my life. I just give it to people straight and they think that's hell."

"General, sir?" interrupted Riley, swallowing the lump in his throat so that his Adam's apple looked like it was having a seizure.

"What?" Marshall looked at Riley as the teen handed the papers to Gibbs to peruse.

"That's how it all happened, sir."

"Good. I can't tell you how this thing with Adams will play out, partly because I can't predict the outcome of the court-martial and partly because I can't comment on a Marine who's under investigation for abuse of authority…"

"Even if that abuse involves me?" Riley jumped to his feet, suddenly enraged. "I think I ought to have the right…"

Gibbs cleared his throat and hit Riley with a penetrating look. Riley's voice caught in his throat and he blinked a few times, heaved a sigh and sat down again.

The General looked at Gibbs for a moment but then continued, "As I was saying, in cases of investigations of abuse of authority, everything is classified, but there's no need to worry, Janssen. When you go back, if you go back, even if he is still in the Corps, Adams won't be at Parris Island."

Gibbs spoke up this time. "I hope that means doing what's best for the Corps and not just what's best for the Corps PR."

"Gibbs, no cover-up is happening. I have no time for that. Adams gets his trial, my staff and I will handle the press."

"There will be no need for you to testify at Adam's trial," Major Knight added, looking at Riley directly. "The testimony that has already been gathered between the Marine Judge Advocate General Investigation and that of NCIS has provided us with what we need to know."

"General, Adams can't go back to abusing those recruits," said Gibbs in a low voice.

Marshall slammed his fist on the table, making everyone jump. "I know that, Gibbs! But he's under my command, and while I don't do cover-ups, I don't throw any of my Marines under the bus! He gets his trial! If the decision is that he stays in the Corps, fine, and," the man narrowed his eyes at Gibbs, "this doesn't leave this room. Adams is done being a Drill Instructor. Even if he stays in uniform, he's moving on, and his file will reflect him as being unsuitable for further work as a recruit trainer."

Gibbs nodded his approval. "That's all I want, General. Just see that justice gets done here. Make sure your Marines are living up to the real values of the Corps, the kind of values you represent."

Gibbs and Marshall shared a companionable look for several moments while Riley digested the information. He was out of the woods by the skin of his teeth, and he knew he owed much of that to Gibbs.

"Well, now that that's settled, how would you like to be a Marine officer?" asked Marshall suddenly, eyeing Riley astutely.

Riley was so jarred by the unexpected question that he sat speechless for several minutes looking from Gibbs' equally surprised face back to the general. His first thought was on the brass on each of Marshall's shoulders, and the responsibility that the man had weighing on him. Officers led their Marines into every situation imaginable, and they went first. They put their Marines before themselves. Sometimes they didn't make it back alive. And you had to be a damned good Marine to make it as an officer. Riley wasn't sure if he had what it takes to qualify for that.

Riley thought about his dad, and then Gibbs, both enlisted men, just regular, plain old leathernecks with a knack for surviving. Wasn't that more like him? Riley had thought of joining them, not of commanding Marines as an officer. That thought had never entered his mind. Was that what he wanted? Or did he like the idea of being an enlisted man better?

"General," Riley finally managed to say, "I don't know anything about it, sir. I'm afraid I wouldn't be cut out for it."

The general grunted and looked annoyed. He shifted in his seat and threw back his massive shoulders. "That's what Gunnery Sergeant Adams thinks too. Matter of fact, during your time under his command, he wrote a lot of harsh things in your file regarding you, your attitude and your prospect of ever making the cut in the Marine Corps…"

"Like his judgment matters," groused Gibbs, setting his cup of coffee on the table firmly.

"Keep your shirt on, Gunny; I never said it did," Marshall said to Gibbs then turned to address Riley once more. "Your record with Adams is very bad. But after receiving testimony from others, as well as the classmates in your platoon and company, and the good folks here at NCIS—I rather think you'd do all right. That's why I came here to speak with you today."

Riley was baffled, and it showed. "Sir? I thought you were coming here to yell at me."

"He got that out of his system on the phone to me," Gibbs, replied, a wry smile on his normally stoic face. "Isn't that right, General?"

"Gunny, if they took away every medal I actually owe to a damned good sergeant, I'd have to hand in my whole damned fruit salad." Marshall returned his focus to Riley. "Marine officers get better pay than enlisted men, better housing, better benefits, especially if you get married."

Riley's eyes widened at the mention of marriage. He couldn't even imagine such a thing. Everything seemed to be going a little faster than he knew how to handle. He cast a panicky look in Gibbs direction, but the man just nodded at him in return. How was a kid like him supposed to make a decision like this by himself? The words struck Riley as almost humorous. He'd been fighting so hard to be considered an adult capable of making his own decisions, yet when a decision was to be made, he didn't even think of himself as an adult.

"Thank you, sir, but I better not. I didn't even make it through the Crucible. I…umm…I've never trained for anything like that. I'd probably mess it up."

Marshall frowned and took a long drink from a scratched, worn-looking canteen he must have carried in with him in his briefcase. For a moment, Riley wondered if it wasn't a leftover piece of gear from earlier in the general's service. Maybe it even went back to when he and Gibbs had served together. When Marshall spoke again, his deep bass voice seemed to rumble from way down in his mirror-shined dress shoes.

"The Marine Corps has a tough fight ahead in this war. The only way we can win is by showing everyone that we're either their best friend or their worst enemy. We have to be able to destroy the rest so that we can offer them a better future than they'd have otherwise. When the American people and their allies dial 911, they call in the Marines, and the officers pick up the phone. I have a responsibility to my Corps and my country to get the men who have what it takes wherever I can find them"

Riley tried not to visibly squirm where he sat. The General didn't seem to be paying attention to his uncertainty. Riley worried his lip, thinking that maybe a Marine—which he had almost become—should always listen to his commander, regardless of whether he personally liked what was being said. So long as that commander wasn't Adams, at least.

"Sir, if I became an officer, how would I go about it? How would I get to Quantico in the first place, or—what would I be expected to do?"

"Ever considered going to college, son? Ever hear of The Citadel?"

Riley exchanged a look with Gibbs, who raised a brow and shrugged.

"No, sir," Riley managed to say although the words came out quietly, showing his uncertainty more than he would have liked.

Marshall didn't seem to notice as he took another drink from his canteen. Riley saw him shift his right hand, perhaps unconsciously, pressing his weathered thumb against the large gold class ring on his third finger. He could see the lettering on it, and it looked like there was a miniature palm tree where Riley figured the gemstone should have been, with letters and some numbers encircling it.

"There's a special clause in the charter for provisional appointments at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. It's right in the middle of Charleston. I recently took the liberty of calling another man from the Citadel's Class of 1982; he just got appointed Director of Admissions and he's looking to stay awhile. A provisional appointment to the future Class of 2011 has been made for you. Meet the physical and academic requirements in effect at the time, by January 25th of the year you arrive and you're in. Naval Reserve Officer's Training Corps offers Navy and Marine tracks. Take the Marine route, three years, then OCS and one more year and you commission at graduation."

Riley's pulse continued to hammer loudly in his ear as he listened to the General. He couldn't help noticing that the man was now speaking in the present tense, as though Riley had already agreed to accept attending the difficult college and take on the challenge of becoming a Marine officer.

"Keep in mind," he continued. "That you'll spend most of the first year as a recruit, but it'll be easier that Parris Island and there'll be no Adams. After your knob year, you'll take on more responsibility, gain rank in the Corps of Cadets while you're attending classes, one of which will be ROTC. You were never officially at Parris Island, but if you survived all that plus a month on the streets at sixteen, The Citadel won't be too hard for you. You'll excel."

Riley took a deep breath and nodded, uneasily. "All right, sir." His skin began to have goose-bumps, half in anticipated excitement at the idea and the other half in pure terror. Then a disquieting thought struck him and he garnered up the courage to say it. "General, sir, could I have some time to think about all this? I just…umm…I need some time, sir. Just a little time, sir, and I…umm…maybe then I can decide on it."

Marshall nodded. "A little confused about things after all you've been through? Not sure if you want to go to a military college and wear brass? Thinking you might rather be an enlisted man?"

Riley took a deep breath, again looking at Gibbs' for some kind of direction. Gibbs was stoic as usual. "Yes, sir," Riley admitted quietly. The General had hit the nail on the head.

"When you do make a decision, call Agent Gibbs or Admiral Harrison in Admissions at The Citadel. Either way, just tell them you want to talk to me. If you decide The Citadel is for you, maybe you'll see my boys there."

Riley blinked. "Your boys, sir?"

"Yes, I have twins your age, Janssen. They haven't decided on what college, but if they went to The Citadel, they'd be in your class, provided you start right after high school."

Riley didn't think it was the right time to say that he'd graduated from high school already.

"You could have told me you were thinking about springing this on him, General," Gibbs said, finally speaking after being silent for so long.

Riley shot him an annoyed glance in spite of himself. The man could have jumped in a lot sooner than now, Riley thought. Gibbs looked at him impassively. Riley couldn't help sighing. He would never figure the man out.

"Thinking about it? Hell, I'd made up my mind the last time you called me. Remember when I said he should have had his EGA and been at SOI with his fellow Marines by now? I'd already decided then he has what we need to make a Marine officer."

"My point still stands."

"Just because you saved my life doesn't mean I can't keep some secrets from you, Gunny," Marshall replied with a wry grin. He stood. "Janssen, best of luck to you, son, whether you decide to enlist or commission, the Marine Corps is waiting.

Riley stood up, snapped to the position of attention and saluted. "Yes, sir."

Marshall returned the salute. "Keep your eye on him, Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled. "I'll be sure to, General."

With a final nod, Marshall picked up his briefcase, tucked his canteen in a side pouch and left the room with Major Knight.


	48. Chapter 48

_**Thank-you so much for all the wonderful reviews. I was delighted to read them.**_

 _ **This next chapter was just plain fun to write...just some fluff and fun...Gibbs will never be bored with all his "kids".**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 _ **Happy Spring to all,**_

 _ **Jenny Wrens**_

Gibbs didn't even try to prevent the smile from flooding his face. His heart was full. He watched his youngest daughter work her magic on the genteel magistrate, Judge Mark Havenaar. Maybe it was because she'd moved around a lot as a military kid or maybe it was because of her life's circumstances but Janessa, for the most part, was not a shy child. The little girl eagerly scrambled up into the gigantuous man's lap and wielded Gibbs' pen with the authority of a skilled writer. Her tongue poked out of her mouth as she concentrated on writing her name as neatly as she could on the line the man pointed to. While Gibbs and the judge knew Janessa and Aimee's signatures meant nothing legally, it was something both men agreed was of significance to them emotionally; a symbol to both girls that they were adopting Gibbs as their father, as much as he was adopting them as his daughters.

"Very nice penmanship, Miss Janessa," observed the judge. "Who taught you to write in cursive?"

Janessa grinned from the praise. "Papa Jack did. He says that important stuff needs to be written in fancy cursive letters to be for real. I practiced a lot."

"I can tell. Good work!" He patted her small hand in approval. He then looked at Aimee sitting in the chair beside Gibbs. "Now it's your turn, young lady. All I need is your John Henry and we're all done."

Janessa wrinkled her nose at the man. "Her name's not John Henry, silly. It's Aimee Gibbs."

Aimee rolled her eyes and took the pen the judge offered to her. "He knows that, dummy. Don't you know who John Henry is?" Gibbs cleared his throat quietly and the rest of Aimee's admonishment died on her lips. She pointed her finger at the line on the paper above Janessa's name. "Do I sign there?"

The judge nodded with an amused look on his face. Gibbs and he exchanged a companionable smile as Aimee carefully added her name to the document. Aimee finished and pushed the paper back to him with a satisfied grin. Judge Havenaar picked up a stamp from his desk and smacked it on the paper causing Janessa jump.

She leaned in and stared for a minute before scowling at him. "Is that your name?"

"It most certainly is, my dear child."

Janessa pressed her lips together in uncertainty. "I don't thinks it counts 'less you use the 'doption pen."

Gibbs chuckled. "Ness, Judge Havenaar has an official stamp with his signature. If he had to sign every document that came across his desk, he'd have a very sore hand."

Janessa looked unconvinced.

Gibbs went to scoop Janessa up into his arms, but she shrunk back into the Judge's chest. Janessa held up the pen very nearly poking the Judge in the eye with it. "I thinks he needs to use this pen just to be sure."

Gibbs looked at the judge apologetically. "Janessa,' he began again, his voice stern.

Judge Havenaar held up his hand to forestall Gibbs from speaking further. "Hold on, Mr. Gibbs. Perhaps this little lady has a point." The judge took the pen from Janessa and signed the paper. He then watched in amusement as Janessa scrutinized it closely.

"Does that met with your approval?"

A smile flooded her small face and she nodded. "Yep, looks good to me."

Judge Havenaar stood to his feet, hoisting Janessa up into his arms with a smile. "Well, then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you the Gibbs family. Congratulations, Mr. Gibbs. Looks like you're the father to two beautiful little girls!" He extended his free hand towards Gibbs.

Gibbs shook the judge's hand with a broad smile on his face. "Thank you, Your Honour." It had been a long time coming and finally, it was official. No more court dates, no more social workers or other strangers poking their noses into his business. The girls finally belonged to him.

"You're welcome. My secretary will process the paperwork and send you copies for your records, as well as their revised birth certificates. Should be in your hands by the middle of next week."

Janessa put her hands on the judge's cheeks and turned his face to meet her blue eyes. "I needs one too."

"You need one what?"

"I needs a copy of that paper." Janessa's expression was very serious as she pointed to the paperwork.

"Now, why is that?"

She took a deep breath, "Cuz Maddie King thinks I'm an orpfin and I'm not supposed to kick her. If I shows her the paper with my name and your name then she can't call me an orpfin no more."

Gibbs laughed out loud. He couldn't help it. He hadn't had time to discuss the Maddie King chronicles with Janessa since he'd picked her up at daycare. In fact, if truth be told, he'd forgotten about it, but it was obvious the battle still lived on. He reached out and took Janessa from the judge's arms and pressed an amused kiss on the side of her head.

"We can talk about that later, kiddo. Don't worry, I've got you covered."

Janessa wrapped one arm around his neck with a concerned look. "Are you sure, daddy?"

"Positive," he reassured.

Just then a knock was heard at the door. "Enter," said Judge Havenaar.

The door opened and an older, dark-haired woman in her 50's poked her head in. "There's a group of people out here who'd like to come in and join you, sir."

The judge raised a brow. "Oh, who might that be?"

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head when he saw the blur of faces of the people behind her. "I believe that's the rest of the family, Your Honour."

The woman stepped aside and the smiling faces of his father, Jackson, along with Ziva, Tim, Tony, Ducky, Jimmy, Abby, Jenny and Makayla all came into view. Judge Havenaar chuckled as well and briefly looked around the small confines of his office.

"I don't think they'll all fit in here, Mr. Gibbs."

"That's okay," spoke up Tony, stepping forward, clearly the ringleader of the crowd. "We just wanted to be here to see the dawning of this new chapter in the life of Jethro Gibbs." Tony stepped into the room and held his hand out to Gibbs. "Congratulations _, 'Dad'_." Tony's eyes sparkled mischievously.

Gibbs shook Tony's hand with a smirk, tears swimming in his eyes. He wasn't a man of many words normally, but Gibbs was struck speechless. He was genuinely touched as he looked at the people who stood in the hallway outside the judge's chambers. Each one had played a significant role in helping him get where he was today. Gibbs looked at Aimee and Janessa who were smiling and giggling with such complete happiness. He never dreamed in a million years he would be where he was today and he was thankful.

"Are you gonna make me stand here all day, Leroy, or are you gonna introduce me to that judge?" said Jackson, pushing past Tony and hobbling into the room with his cane.

Gibbs had invited his father to come along, but the man had pretended like he had other pressing things to do. Gibbs hadn't thought much of it at the time having decided a long time ago to give up figuring his father out and putting unrealistic expectations on the man.

The smile didn't leave Gibbs' face. "Judge Havenaar, this is my father, Jackson Gibbs."

The judge extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Gibbs."

Jackson shook the judge's hand and smiled at Aimee and Janessa. "Well, seeing as you don't have room for a party here, you're invited back to our house for cake. I'm getting to be quite the baker if I do say so myself."

Judge Havenaar couldn't help but chuckle at the exuberant group. He glanced at his watch briefly and said, "As much as that is tempting, Mr. Gibbs, I'm due in court in 15 minutes, so if you could please excuse me, I need to be on my way."

Everyone began talking at once as the judge ushered everyone from his chambers. Gibbs set Janessa's feet to the floor, and she ran to Tony who scooped her up into his arms, lifting her over his head and onto his shoulders. She squealed in delight. Aimee skipped ahead of him, latching onto Makayla's arm. Makayla took her by the hand and whispered something into her ear making Aimee giggle loudly. Abby slipped her hand into the arm of the judge and Gibbs could hear her talking to him about animal advocacy. Gibbs rolled his eyes, hoping she wouldn't overstep her boundaries. One look at the twinkle in the older man's eyes told him that, as usual, Abby had very quickly captured his attention by her sweet friendliness. Gibbs couldn't have asked for a better judge. He allowed himself a moment to take a deep breath, trailing behind the rest of the group as they joyfully walked down the corridor to the front entrance. Jenny fell into step beside him.

"So, how does it feel, Jethro?"

"What do you mean?"

Jenny smiled and hooked her hand into the crook of his arm as they walked. "How does it feel for it to finally be over?"

Gibbs walked alongside her, quietly pondering just that. What _did_ he feel? Relief? He felt like he'd been under the biggest test of his life, with one thing happening after the other with no end in sight. Each time he thought things couldn't get worse, they had. Would his life just be normal now? Well, as normal as it could be for a Senior Field agent at NCIS. He was suddenly glad for the time off.

"I'm glad you suggested I take a leave." he finally said.

Jenny lifted a brow. "It wasn't a suggestion, Jethro."

Gibbs smiled at a wry grin. "That's what you think, Madame Director."

XxXxNCISxXxX

The paintbrush went flying across the room and landed with a splat in front of Gibbs' feet as he walked into the dining room.

"Janessa!" scolded Makayla. "Don't throw your paintbrush! If you need water, just ask me."

Gibbs stepped over the brush and walked over to Janessa, lifting her out of her chair to the floor. "Go pick it up," he told her firmly.

Janessa ran over and picked it up, returning to her seat. "It slipped," she explained to him matter-a-factly as she scrambled back into her chair.

"It did, did it?" he said, reaching across the table and grabbing a glass of water for her to rinse her brush. "Seems to me Aimee told you not to throw your brush the last time I walked in here."

"I did," complained Aimee. "She keeps doing it, daddy."

"I'm sorry." Janessa quickly said.

Gibbs leaned over and looked at his youngest daughter's picture in amusement. Her picture looked like something out of an NCIS crime scene. "Make sure it doesn't slip again," he chided her, stroking her soft, blonde hair affectionately. The little girl nodded and continued to paint.

Gibbs pulled a chair over and sat beside Aimee. "What are you painting?"

"Mak is showing me how to paint a watercolour picture," replied Aimee, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Like this, Mackie?" Aimee added some water and swept her brush gently across the paper.

"That's really good, Aimee," praised Makayla, looking up briefly from her own masterpiece to look at Aimee's.

Gibbs sat quietly watching the artists at work. He was in awe at how masterful Makayla was with her brush. She made it look so easy, maneuvering the watercolour paint and then mixing in a dry brush technique. Her picture was of a sunset on a beach.

"I'm painting a picture for Abby, daddy. Do you thinks she'll like it?"

Gibbs nodded. It certainly looked similar to the other pictures in Abby's lab. "I think Abby will love it."

Janessa beamed with happiness and continued to randomly splat paint on her paper, the table and herself. It was going to be some mess to clean up, but he could almost hear Shannon telling him that messes were a sign of happy, well-adjusted kids.

"We still on for tonight, Mak?" asked Gibbs. Makayla looked up, chewing her lip sheepishly. Gibbs knew the look. She was worried that their so-called appointment tonight meant she was in trouble with him again. He wasn't sure how he could get around her thinking that way every time he wanted to speak with her privately. "I'm looking forward to having some help sanding my boat," he added, hoping to wipe the worried look from her face.

"I'll help you, Gibbs," piped up Aimee, with an expectant look on her face.

Gibbs smiled. "Thanks, Aims but this is a date I made especially with Makayla. Director Shepard is working late tonight, so Aimee is bunking over with us. You can help me tomorrow night if you want. How's that sound?"

Aimee seemed to consider his words and then nodded with a smile. "Okay, it's a date."

Gibbs inwardly sighed in relief. He didn't want to stir up any animosity between the girls.

"So, are we still on?" he prompted again.

"I guess so," she said, still looking uncertain.

He stood up and messed up her hair playfully. "Don't look so serious; I promise you'll enjoy yourself." He glanced at the clock on the wall in the kitchen. It was almost 16:30 hours. He'd mentioned to his father that he would be in charge of supper and he probably should be starting to think about what he would make. "What should we make for supper tonight?"

Janessa looked up from her work. "Where's Papa Jack? He always makes supper."

"Well, tonight, I'm making it."

Janessa's eyes brightened and she jumped down from her chair, running to the drawer beside the back door. She pulled it open and yanking out some menus. "Can I have pineapple on my pizza?"

Gibbs couldn't help chuckling. It seemed like he had a reputation he needed to amend. If the five-year-old thought him cooking meant takeout, he needed to make some changes and quick.

"No pizza tonight, kiddo, unless we make it ourselves."

Janessa's eyes widened in complete surprise. "You know how to make pizza?"

Gibbs shrugged. He really didn't know how to make pizza from scratch. "Well, not really, but…"

"Do you have a bread maker, Agent Gibbs?" asked Makayla, standing up and washing her hands in the sink.

"I dunno, what's it look like?"

Makayla rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're hopeless." She dried her hands on her jeans and disappeared into the pantry for a moment and came out carrying a white appliance that Gibbs had never seen before. In fact, he really never paid attention to the contraptions in that room. He knew Abby had bought many things for him, but he personally had never used any of it.

Makayla set it on the counter and pulled out the mini booklet stored inside the lid. "Wash your hands, Gibbs, and I will show you how to make homemade pizza."

Gibbs saluted the teen girl and she laughed. As he reached to dry his hands, he felt his cell phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and peeked at the number. "Can you girls get started without me? I need to take this call."

Makayla nodded as she began to skillfully take over the kitchen, instructing Aimee and Janessa to wash their hands and go in search for the flour.

Gibbs slipped out the back door onto his porch and sat down in an old rocking chair as he answered the call. "McGee? What's up?"

"Hi, Boss, sorry to bug you when you're not officially working at NCIS…"

Gibbs rolled his eyes at the man's apology. "Spill it, Tim."

"Mrs. Janssen called to ask when you were going to drop Riley off. She's been waiting all day for him to return to the hotel."

Gibbs frowned. "I dropped him off at the hotel this morning after our meeting with General Marshall."

"That's what I thought," said McGee.

"Let me talk to DiNozzo, Tim."

"He's not here right now."

Gibbs' frown grew deeper. Tony had been temporarily deemed the Senior Field agent in Gibbs absence and would continue to hold that role until Gibbs returned in January. His temper flared. "Where the hell is he, McGee?"

Gibbs heard McGee hesitate and then sigh. "He went to find Abby."

"What do you mean, find Abby? You all left my house not more than two hours ago. Where could she have gone?" Everyone had come by the house for Jackson's celebratory cake and then left to go back to work.

"I'm not sure, Boss. After we left your place, Tony and I came back here to tidy up some loose ends and Abby was supposed to follow us in her car. She never showed up. We called her cell phone but it went right to voice mail." Gibbs could hear the worry in Tim's voice. He always worried about Abby, maybe a little too much. He sighed. Abby likely took a scenic route past the animal shelter to take pictures despite being told not to. She would twist it around somehow to give herself permission.

"Tell Tony to look for her at Ryerson Animal Shelter."

"Boss?"

"Long story, Tim. You know Abby." They all knew Abby very well, so Tim wouldn't need much of an explanation. "Put out a BOLO on Riley for me and tell DiNozzo if he finds Abby to bring her to my house. If the BOLO turns up anything, bring Riley here too. What's Mrs. Janssen's number?"

McGee gave him the number. "Think Riley took off?"

"Probably. The kid's had a rough time of it. He likely wanted some time on his own to think." It seems to be his lot in life to have to deal with runaway kids. "Be sure to have them look in all the places we found Riley before. He might have gone there with nowhere else to go."

"On it, Boss."

"And McGee?"

"Yah, Boss?"

"Don't apologize for calling me if you need me, even when I'm on leave." He allowed a small bit of admonition to resonate in his voice. "Especially when it concerns Abby or any of my team. Got it?"

"Y-yes, Boss," stammered Tim. Gibbs knew he'd got his point across well and hung up.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs wiped his mouth with his napkin and looked at Makayla in appreciation. "That was the best pizza I ever had, Miss Wallace. Where did you learn to cook like that?"

Makayla beamed. "The girls and I often would commandeer the kitchen at school and try out new recipes."

"You're a good cooker, Mackie," said Janessa, taking another bite. Pizza sauce was smeared around her mouth and on her chin.

Jackson reached out and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Did she teach you anything, Leroy?"

Makayla grinned. "I think Agent Gibbs should stick to his day job, Mr. Gibbs. The kitchen is a mess!"

Gibbs laughed. "Wait a minute, I wasn't the one who spilled flour on the floor," he protested.

"That was me," admitted Aimee with a pained look. "But you pushed me." Aimee pointed at him with a laugh.

"Me?" said Gibbs with a mischievous look in his eye. "Prove it."

Makayla shook her head. "You're all a bunch of hooligans."

"Hooligans?" Gibbs choked on his drink. "Where did you hear that word?"

"Ducky uses that word all the time," said Aimee with a smirk.

"What's a hooligan?" asked Janessa with her mouth still full of pizza, obviously not understanding the humour.

Gibbs couldn't stop laughing. Makayla, Aimee and Janessa had been influenced by the older medical examiner more than he realized. The next thing he knew, the girls would start talking in a British accent.

As Gibbs opened his mouth to explain what a hooligan was, the doorbell rang. He wiped his mouth again and stood up, glancing at his dad.

"I'll handle it, son. Go answer the door."

Gibbs left the dining room, listening to the laughter and chatter of his family with a smile. He could definitely get used to this every night and was looking forward to the normalcy in his life. He reached his front entrance and pulled the door open to see Tony holding an annoyed Abby by the upper arm.

"Delivery for you, Boss," said Tony with an amused expression on his face. "Found her right where McGee said you said to look."

"Tony, let me go," snapped Abby, yanking her arm away.

"There's pizza on the table if you're hungry, DiNozzo?" Tony's face brightened and he disappeared into the house to the kitchen. It was well past 6 pm now and he knew the younger man would be famished. Gibbs took a step out his door and shut it, turning to face Abby. She looked at him in annoyance and then her expression turned rueful.

"Gibbs, I can explain," she began quickly when she saw how irritated he looked with her.

Gibbs point to the nearby chair on his front porch and Abby sat down, while he pulled another chair closer. He sat down and looked out at the street around him. It was peaceful and the air smelled autumn fresh. He loved the scent of crisp leaves and fresh air. He had to say that autumn was one of his favourite times of the year. The leaves were stunning, although, they had reached the end of their glory and the last of them had almost fallen.

He turned to Abby. "I have one question for you."

Abby sighed, knowing perfectly well she wasn't going to like the question.

"What part of no didn't you understand?"

Abby put her head in hands and shook her head. "Gibbs…"

"I distinctly remember turning down your request, did I not?"

"Yes, but Gibbs…"

"And when you left my house, it was to return immediately back to NCIS to finish your day's work, am I correct?"

"Gibbs," she whined looking up at him, but he waved a hand to dismiss her words.

"Abby!" he reprimanded. "I told you we could discuss it further tonight after work…"

Abby at him hopefully. "Well, technically it is tonight after work right now, Gibbs…"

"Abigail!"

Abby had the decency to lower her head once again and mumbled an apology. "I just wanted to take a few pictures in daylight, Gibbs. It gets dark so early this time of year…"

He sighed, but then an amused grin pulled at his lip as an idea popped into his head. "Abigail Sciuto, you're hereby grounded for one week, effective immediately."

Abby's mouth dropped open as her head shot up in bewilderment. "Grounded? What does that mean?"

"It means that you are not to leave this house until next Sunday evening."

Abby couldn't have looked more shocked if he'd Gibbs' smacked her. "But, Gibbs, I have to go to work…"

"Not this week you don't. There is no forensics on the agenda this week, and you disobeyed a direct order from me. So, I'm pulling you off duty and grounding you here."

"Y-you have to be kidding," she stammered.

"No arguments. I'm fed up with you doing whatever the hell you want and making excuses for it. You knew perfectly well I didn't want you going there until we talked about this and you purposely used coming to my house as an excuse to take a scenic route back to work. Am I right?"

Abby's face reddened but she nodded in admittance of her crime.

"Okay, then." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys, handing them to her. "You have exactly one hour to gather what you need for the week and report back here. Don't make me come looking for you."

Abby groaned as she stood to her feet and stomped off the porch towards his car. She didn't even bother to look back at him. Gibbs covered his mouth and shook his head, chuckling a little too hard to be able to hide it. He planned to use the week to help Abby understand she needed to heed his word, and of course, look into the problem with her. He was nothing but thorough. And he couldn't resist his oldest daughter any more than he could his younger ones.


	49. Chapter 49

_**Happy Spring Readers:**_

 _ **I think I am safe to do a coat and boat exchange in my front entrance...*crosses fingers I don't jinx us all* LOL**_

 _ **Sun is shining, kids are happily playing outside, supper is in the crockpot...LIFE IS GOOD!**_

 _ **I was able to edit another chapter for you...hope you all enjoy!**_

 _ **Things are wrapping up in this story...but I still need to wrap up Makayla's storyline...stay tuned for some Makayla chapters coming up next.**_

Gibbs rifled through the mail as he walked up the driveway. He stopped under a street lamp when he caught a glimpse of a letter addressed to Aimee in a childish script. He flipped the letter over and smiled to see it was a letter from a young girl named Ruthie VanderMere. So Ruthie really did exist. It was good to know that not everything Aimee had told him was a lie, remembering the phones she received before she ran away the last time. Aimee had told him she had a good friend at one of the last bases her family had been stationed at. It would be good for the little girl to renew an old friendship. He often worried if Aimee was lonesome and hoped she would make new friends when she went to school in the New Year. As he was pondering how the girl managed to find out where Aimee lived, he heard a car drive up behind him. He turned around to see Tim driving an NCIS vehicle with Riley in the front seat beside him. Gibbs walked up to the driver's door as the car came to a stop and Tim got out.

"Hey, Boss." Tim closed the car door quietly.

Gibbs peered into the car to see a very disgruntled teenager staring straight ahead with his arms stubbornly crossed. "Where'd you find him?"

"Local LEOS found him around South Street near all the abandoned buildings."

Gibbs brushed a hand across his face. He'd envisioned Riley returning there, and he'd been right on the money. The kid had made those buildings home over the past month and probably had fallen into a routine of sorts, knowing where to seek shelter and get food. "Did he put up much of a fight?"

Tim looked at the car. "Well, let's just say, we owe them more than a cup of coffee and a donut this time." Gibbs grimaced. They had some good friendships with the LEOS and they had some abysmal ones. Gibbs liked to keep things amicable for things just like this. "I bought him something to eat," continued Tim, "but he's not talking much."

"He's ticked off. I get it. You ate yet, Tim?"

"Not yet. I'm gonna return the car and grab something on my way home."

"You're welcome to grab some pizza here. There's plenty." Tim smiled at the prospect. "Tony's in there too though, so you better hurry up," said Gibbs, stealing another glance at Riley stewing in the car.

"I take it he found Abby?"

"Yep. Brought her here and I sent her home to get some things. She won't be at work the rest of the week in case you're all wondering where she is."

Tim furrowed a brow. "Boss?"

Gibbs waved a hand. "I'll explain later. Go eat!"

Tim nodded and made his way to the front entrance as Gibbs opened the driver's side door and climbed inside. He readjusted the seat, moving it back further giving his long legs more room. He had a feeling this was going to be a long talk and he wanted to be as comfortable as possible.

"So, you pissed at me?"

Riley scoffed and sunk lower in the seat, not bothering to make eye contact. "What do you think?"

"I think you're pissed. That's okay. I'm a big boy. I can take it."

"You should have minded your own business. I can take care of myself." Riley's words were clipped and terse.

"I seem to remember you asked if I'd keep in touch with you."

Riley shot him a look. "I just saw you this morning for Pete's sake. I didn't think you would be keeping tabs on me. Keeping in touch means checking up on each other every couple of months or so…"

"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind."

"Whatever!" snapped Riley.

Gibbs paused a moment to allow Riley sometime to relax a little. The telltale sign of the teenage angst words 'whatever' made Gibbs bite back a smirk. If he had two cents for every time an angry teen said that to him, he'd be a rich man. The kid needed to know he had some say and feel like he had a little control. Gibbs was willing to give him that for now.

"Your mom is worried."

"She'll get over it."

"She's been waiting for you to come back to the hotel all day. Do you think that's fair to leave her wondering where you are?"

Riley sat up and glared at Gibbs. "Didn't seem to bother her for the last five years, now did it?"

Gibbs leaned back and rested his head on the headrest. He knew very little about Riley's story.

"She deserves your respect, Riley."

Riley fisted his hand and pounded on the front dash, then glared at Gibbs. "I don't owe her a damned thing. She was the one who left me, not the other way 'round."

Gibbs was quiet. It was now or never. Riley would share what was in his heart or he wouldn't, but Gibbs was determined to see where this led.

Riley sucked in a deep breath and slammed the dash again. "She walked away from me."

Gibbs could see the tears forming in Riley's eyes as he fought desperately to blink them away. "Why do you think she left?"

Riley wiped at his eyes, looking out the passenger side window. "Things weren't so bad when my dad was gone. After Ryan died, he tended to stay away for longer periods of time. It was hard, but my mom and I did our best. People helped us. But when my dad came home, all hell broke loose. Mom and me were trying to cope as best as we could and move on, but my dad wasn't coping at all. When he did come home, all he did was drink and yell at us…and knock my mom around. Somehow, in my little 12-year-old brain, I thought I could stop him. One time when he started hitting my mom, I shoved him hard enough that he fell down right on his ass. He picked himself off the floor and beat the living shit out of me with his belt. After that, it became like some kind of sick game show stuck on repeat. He'd go after my mom and I'd try to stop him and he'd beat the livin' daylights outta me." Riley paused a moment and looked up at Gibbs, searching his eyes for some kind of response. Gibbs was deadpan. Riley didn't want pity, Gibbs knew that. As much as Gibbs' heart ached for the kid, he felt it was best to remain as impassive as possible.

"So, why'd your mom leave?"

Riley shrugged and reached into the fast food bag on the floor, grabbing out a cold French fry and stuffing it in his mouth. "All she said was she needed to leave so dad wouldn't hit me anymore. She couldn't get me to stop interfering when he beat her, and she couldn't stop dad from beating me so the best thing she thought she could do was leave my dad. Only trouble is, she left me behind too…" The boy's voice trailed off and this time Gibbs saw a tear run down Riley's cheek.

Gibbs sucked in a haggard breath. He couldn't fathom how desperate Riley's mother must have been to leave her child behind thinking it would help make things better. The woman obviously hadn't been thinking straight at all.

"I take it that didn't change anything," Gibbs said after a moment of silence.

Riley snorted. "Hell, no. My ole man didn't need an excuse to beat the crap outta me. Her leaving just gave him free rein. The only good thing was he was gone longer, so I was on my own a lot more. My mom tried to make sure I ate okay and went to school, but for the most part, I took care of myself." Riley chewed absentmindedly on a fry and then turned to look at Gibbs. "The day I graduated, I grabbed my gear and never looked back."

"What made you think of joining the Marines?"

Riley shrugged. "Walked by the recruiting office that day on the way to tell my mom I was leaving. One of the recruiting officers was outside smoking a cigarette and asked if I wanted any information on becoming a Marine. I had nothing better to do and no place to go so I went in and stayed awhile. The guy was a pretty damned good salesman."

Gibbs chuckled. "Yah, they usually are."

"At any rate, I really didn't know what else to do and I had no money to do anything else. The recruiter helped me fill out the paperwork and next thing I knew I was on a bus to Parris Island."

Gibbs tried not to grimace. Joining the Marines was not a short process. It wasn't a matter of days; it took months. Somehow, there had to be more to the story.

Gibbs glanced at his watch, using the light from the street to illuminate it. "Getting late, Riley. I don't think we should leave your mom waiting any longer. What'd you say I take you back to the hotel and we'll talk?"

Riley shook his head. "I'm not going back there. You take me back and I'll just leave again. I don't need her. I haven't needed her for a long time. I can take care of myself, Agent Gibbs."

"Not an option, Riley. Like it or not, you're a minor and that means you need a guardian."

Riley shook his head and groaned. "That's a load of bullshit! You can take me back, but you can't stop me from taking off again and I will."

Gibbs shifted in his seat and looked at Riley. His piercing blue eyes pinned Riley so that he couldn't look away. Gibbs remained silent for a few moments, pondering a few things in his mind. Riley had made an interesting point that Gibbs hadn't considered. The kid didn't respect his mother so he wasn't going to listen to her let alone stay with her. Mrs. Janssen didn't stand a hope in hell of keeping Riley under control nor would she have what it took to lead Riley in a direction that might be profitable for his future.

"The way I see it, Riley, is you have one of two options here."

Riley narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah?" The kid's voice held a dare in it. Gibbs had to bite back a smirk. The kid had tenacity and Gibbs admired it, reminded him a lot of himself at that age.

"First of all, running off on your own isn't an option, so you can wipe that outta your mind right now."

"Who's gonna stop me?"

Gibbs lifted a brow but ignored the comment as he continued to speak. The kid would get his answer to that question soon enough. "Option one: I take you back to the hotel and you go home with your mom. You get a job, help out your mom and I check up on you every couple of months to see how you're doing. But let me tell you this, if you pick this option and I hear tell of you disrespecting your mom or taking off, you will have me to deal with, understand? And mark my words, I will find out and I will find you no matter where you go. I track down terrorists hidden in third world countries; a cocky teenager with a chip on his shoulders is no challenge for me." Gibbs lifted his chin and continued, "I'll find you and kick your ass all the way back here, and then I'll drag you out back to my woodshed and you won't be able to sit for a month of Sundays by the time I'm done with you. If you think I'm joking, I can take you out back right now and give you a little preview, if you'd like."

Gibbs saw Riley's eyes widen significantly and then swallow several times. He wetted his lips and tried to act cool and collected. "Uh…w-what's option two?" he stammered.

"I talk to your mom and, with her permission, you stay with me for an indeterminate amount of time. We look into getting you signed up for some courses at the local community college; you can get a job and save some money to buy your own set of wheels. Pretty sure most kids your age want your own. You toe the line and keep your nose clean, and in a year or so, if you want, we'll look at what we can do to get you to the Citadel. If not there, the Marines and if not that, whatever you want to do. The decision is ultimately yours when you turn 18."

"Who pays?" Riley suddenly said.

"What do you mean?"

"The Citadel. Who pays? I assume it's not a free ride."

Gibbs frowned. The kid obviously hadn't processed everything General Marshall said, but If Gibbs thought about it, how could Riley know? He had no clue how these things worked.

"Riley," Gibbs dropped his tough guy routine and softened a little. "When General Marshall said he reserved a place for you, he meant lock, stock and barrel. Some pretty nasty stuff went down at Parris Island and he knows it. He's not going to let that go by without some kind of compensation. The Marines take care of their own. If you want a chance at the Citadel, it's yours. Paid in full."

Riley put his face in his hands and sat completely still. Gibbs felt an urge to reach out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder but he refrained. He wasn't sure where Riley was in his anger at this point, and he didn't want to risk making things worse. There were some big decisions to make and he was willing to give the boy time to think. Gibbs leaned back in the seat and stared out the front windshield. It had gotten considerably darker as time had passed. Gibbs glanced at his watch again, noting that Abby had been gone over an hour now. He swallowed down his annoyance. He didn't want to have to go look for Abby and drag her back so he hoped she'd turn up eventually.

Riley sat back and ran a hand through his thick hair. It was looking like the boy could use a good haircut which was surprising considering how short they buzzed hair on recruits. "I suppose you want me to pick an option now."

Gibbs nodded. "That would be the best bet unless you think you need a day to think on it which leaves us with a problem of where you're gonna stay tonight."

Riley took a deep breath and then puffed out his cheeks. "Are you sure about this, Agent Gibbs? Don't you already have a couple of kids? You sure you'd want me hanging around too?"

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have offered. Why? You thinking of choosing that?"

"Maybe. Depends."

"On what?"

"What kind of toeing the line are we talking about?" Riley looked suspiciously distrustful, and Gibbs could appreciate that considering he'd already threatened to skin the kid alive in his woodshed. The woodshed so stuffed with wood and old tools, he'd likely never get the door open anyway.

Gibbs shook his head. "Nope, that's not part of the deal. You pick an option first and we go from there. But I will say this, once you pick one, I'm holding you to it. There is no backpedalling. A man has to make decisions in his life and not go around waffling. Make your choice, be a man and stick to it."

Riley scratched his head and threw his hands in the air in annoyance. "This sucks."

Gibbs didn't make any comments.

"What makes you think I won't just tell you to screw off and leave?"

"Because, if you make that poor choice, you'll piss me off and General Marshall will remind you of your grandmother by the time I'm through with you." Gibbs made his voice dangerously low. It was an empty threat. If Riley chose to take off, there wasn't much he could do about it but drag his ass back and start again, but Riley didn't know that. Leaving doubt in his mind was as much as Gibbs could do and Gibbs always played his cards well.

"Has anyone told you you're a bastard?"

Gibbs threw his head back and laughed. "Every day, kid."

Riley sighed again, shuffling his feet on the floor. "Okay, alright. Option two, I guess."

"Okay." Gibbs reached under the seat and felt for the key fob lockbox. Every NCIS car was equipped with a lockbox fingerprinted to SFA's so they could use the car even if the keys had been lost or taken by another agent. Gibbs fumbled around with the box and released it, pulling out a key fob. He pressed the button and the car started. "Let's go talk to your mom."

Riley's eyes widened. "Right now?"

"No time like the present. Put on your seatbelt."

XxXxNCISxXxX

A few hours later, Gibbs and Riley returned to his house and pulled in his laneway. Riley was quiet but looked less combative. Rachel Janssen had looked genuinely relieved by Gibbs' offer. She'd freely admitted that she didn't know how she could do right by Riley. Riley's father wouldn't be in custody for long and the man would return home soon enough. There was no way she felt like she could keep Riley safe and help the boy make good decisions about the future. It hadn't been difficult to get her permission for Gibbs to become Riley's guardian. Gibbs set the paperwork into motion and knew it would only be a matter of days until it was final.

"You're gonna need to bunk with me for a bit. All the rooms are full, I'm afraid."

"Sure you don't mind? I could sleep on the couch."

"Nah, the couch is lumpy; good for a nap but not for the long haul. Don't worry. We'll figure out rooms soon enough. Who knows, I might even build on in the spring." Riley yawned. Gibbs could see the kid was dead on his feet. He'd carried a lot on his shoulders the past month or so. It was time for the kid to have some downtime. "Go on inside. The stairs are straight in front. My dad knows you're coming so no need to worry about that. My room is the first door on your right at the top of the landing. Feel free to take a shower or whatever you need to do. Don't be shy to snoop around to find what you need."

Riley got out of the car as Gibbs did and they grabbed his stuff out of the trunk. The teen didn't have much in the way of belongings, even after his things had been collected from Parris Island. Everything he owned seemed to fit in one duffel bag, which didn't surprise Gibbs. Recruits were encouraged to keep things to a bare minimum. Gibbs made a mental note to drag the kid shopping with him in the near future. Riley needed clothes, shoes and probably personal things like socks and underwear. Plus Gibbs wasn't opposed to the young man having a video game system and his own cell phone. He was sure both Tony and Tim would be happy to help with that. It seemed like Riley hadn't had much of a childhood and maybe Gibbs could give him one, even if only for a while. The boy's mother had insisted on sending some support for Riley's room and board even though Gibbs had told her that it was necessary. He wasn't a rich man, but he certainly wasn't poor either. Providing for Riley wouldn't be a problem for him, but if the woman sent any money at all, Gibbs planned to put it in a trust fund for him. It would be a nice nest egg for him when he turned eighteen.

Gibbs took stock of the vehicles in his driveway as he headed towards the house in step with Riley and heaved a weary sigh. He only saw his truck, and no sign of his car which meant Abby was still MIA. Tony and Tim had long since left, Tony having taken Tim back to NCIS to get his car. An agent would pick up the NCIS vehicle in the morning.

Riley stopped, noticing Gibbs' haggard expression. "Something wrong, Agent Gibbs?"

"No, nothing's wrong." He answered, determining in his mind where he should look for his Goth girl. "Hey, Rye, I need to do something, but I should be back in an hour. Would you telling Mackie that I haven't forgotten our date tonight and that I'll be back later?"

Riley frowned. "Mackie as in Makayla? The girl who helped me escape…"

Gibbs smirked. "Yep, one and the same. Long story, but let's just say I have a very full house."

Riley shook his head, mumbling under his breath. "Life isn't going to boring living here."

Gibbs handed him the bag he was carrying for him and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "You okay going in on your own?"

Riley nodded and Gibbs watched as the teenager climbed the front steps and entered the house. He waited a few moments longer in the dusk of the night, not really trusting that the kid wouldn't change his mind and bolt, but after about five minutes of waiting, he climbed into his truck. He needed to track down his oldest girl before he'd be able to rest for the night.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Lost in his thoughts, Gibbs pondered over how he'd handle things with Abby this time. She was a grown adult, and he didn't have the right to treat her any other way. Yes, she'd disobeyed a direct order and he did have the right to discipline her for that, but maybe he'd gone a little too far in grounding her to his house. He stifled a yawn as he thought about where she might have gone. His gut told him she would have grabbed her things as he'd asked her. Abby usually stomped off in a huff, but she always followed through when he'd reprimanded her. They had a special relationship, the two of them. Sure, he was her authority at work, but it was more than that. Abby and he shared a bond and she enjoyed the protection and security that it gave her, even when he was gruff and overstepped his authority sometimes. He couldn't help it. She was his kid, just like every other member of his team.

Gibbs decided to go with his gut and he headed towards the animal shelter. If he knew Abby, even though she was already in trouble, she'd use every chance she got to research and check out her hunches. She wouldn't let it go until she was satisfied, even if he threatened to tar and feather her. And if he was to be honest with himself, it was what made her such a damned good forensic scientist.

As he approached the shelter, he saw his car parked on the street. His assumption had been correct. He got out of his car silently and scanned the area, looking for the ponytailed miscreant. It didn't take long before he found her standing on some boxes, peering into a window and taking pictures. He strode over to her and stood behind her silently. His team often accused him of being a ninja because of his agility and ability to sneak up on them when they least expected it, usually ending in a good head smack for Tony.

He cleared his throat softly. "See anything, Abbs?"

Abby jumped and he had to reach out and catch her as she tumbled off her perch.

"G-G-Gibbs," she sputtered and Gibbs imagined that her normally pale face was even whiter if that was even possible.

Gibbs set her back to her feet and summoned up one of his stern faces. He wasn't really angry with her, more amused. It was off hours and on her own time, but he had warned her not to make him come looking for her. He had to at least make her squirm a little.

"Gibbs! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, considering I told you to come straight back home."

He watched her eyes glisten in the light of the street lamps overhead.

"I was just checking on the dogs. Gibbs. You know, making sure they'd been fed and tucked in for the night."

He sighed. "And have they?"

She shrugged. "It's hard to tell, but I think so. When I shined the flashlight in the window, they were all peacefully lying down and most sleeping."

"Okay, then how about we get you home, fed and tucked in for the night too?"

Abby pondered his words and then gathered up her belongings strewn on the boxes, her camera case and notebook. She followed Gibbs back to his car, but he stopped her.

"Oh, no, you don't; no more gallivanting on your own tonight, miss. You're coming with me in my truck." Abby opened her mouth to protest but Gibbs waved her words away. "Save it, Abbs. Now, get in."

He took her by the arm and helped her towards his truck, and to her credit, she'd didn't try and stop him. Once inside his truck, he turned and looked at her in amusement. "You know, half the time, I don't know whether I should haul you over my knee like Aimee or help fund you in your endeavours." He chuckled and patted her hand as he fired up the ignition.

Abby scrunched up her face in a way on Abby could, a half laugh, and a half pout settling on her face. "Don't tease me, Gibbs. I'm serious about this."

"I know you are, Abbs, but so am I. You need to follow orders and not do whatever the hell you want. I need to know that you're going to be where I think you are, and with me on a two-month leave, I need to know that you're not going to run roughshod over Tony while I'm gone."

Abby's mouth dropped open and she spluttered, "Gibbs, I would never do…"

"Oh, no, you don't. Don't you dare be all up in arms with me, Abby! We both know that when I take a hiatus or go on vacation, you manipulate Tony and Tim like a pro and they never see it coming."

Abby crossed her arms petulantly, remaining silent, which in itself proved he was correct. Abby always had something to say in rebuttal when she thought she was right.

"So, this week you need to prove to me that I can trust that you won't go rogue on Tony when I'm gone. Got it?"

In the dimness of the evening, Gibbs could just make out Abby pressing her lips together in contempt. She did not like being called out, and Gibbs had called her number.

"Abby?" he warned, his voice holding a hint of reprimand in it.

She puffed out her cheeks. "Fine."

Gibbs smirked. It was a clipped, unhappy response, but he'd take it. He put the truck in gear and headed home.


	50. Chapter 50

_**Greetings Readers.**_

 _ **Thank you for stopping by and reading my story.**_

 _ **I'm so thankful for all my readers...and for all the wonderful reviews. I enjoy your reviews so much. I'm glad you are enjoying my little corner of the universe.**_

 _ **Here's a little Gibbs and Makayla fluff :)**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

He ran a weathered hand over the well-sanded cedar wood and smiled. "Good job, Mackie," Gibbs praised. "Girl, is there anything you can't do?"

Makayla beamed at his words and kept sanding. "I'm not very good at biology or computer programming…or really anything important for that matter…" Her voice trailed off, discouragement lingering around her words.

Gibbs walked around his boat, straddled an old stool and began tackling his own side with the fine-grained paper. "I think you can do anything you set your mind to. You're an amazing cook, by the way. That pizza was incredible. Never in my life have I ever had chicken on my pizza."

Makayla's smile broadened as she peeked at Gibbs through the hull of the boat. "Does Tony always eat like that?"

"Tony lives on pizza. If he liked it, it's gotta be better than good. He's Italian after all."

Makayla giggled. "I thought him and Tim would get into a brawl over the last piece until your dad threatened to use the wooden spoon on 'em."

"Probably should've just for the fun of it," laughed Gibbs, envisioning his dad running after the two miscreants and taking them to task.

Makayla sobered. "He wouldn't have for real, would he?"

Gibbs smirked, "Mackie, I think he would still haul me out to the woodshed if I ticked him off, grumpy old coot that he is."

"Gibbs!" she laughed, trying to scold him but not having success. "What a terrible thing to say about your father."

Gibbs scratched his nose with his forearm and sneezed. The wood dust was heavy in the basement when two people sanded and Makayla had proven to be a proficient sander. "Just telling the truth." He laughed, then asked, "What's your father like?" He wanted to steer the conversation in a direction he wanted it to go.

Gibbs saw the young teen's face sober and she didn't reply to the question; instead, she just kept sanding dutifully.

"Mak, are you worried about your parents coming home?" he tried again.

Makayla shrugged her shoulders and kept sanding. The room was quiet except for the sound of the sandpaper working over the wood and the buzzing of the light bulb overhead. She sighed heavily and set down her sandpaper. "I don't really feel like talking about my parents right now."

Gibbs nodded and stood up, stretching out his back and walking to where his bottle of water stood. He pulled out his stool and sat down, taking a long drink. Makayla watched him nervously.

"Okay, then I'd like to discuss what happened between us the other night," he began softly.

Makayla's cheeks flushed at his words and she kicked at the wood dust on the floor. "I'd rather not discuss that either, Agent Gibbs."

"I can understand that, but I think we should anyway. I'm not your father or any relation to you for that matter, and I want to be sure things are okay between us." Makayla stood to her feet and walked towards the stairs. Gibbs was on his feet in seconds and he stepped in front of her before she could race up the steps. "Oh, no, you don't," he said, blocking her only means of escape. "I am serious about discussing this and, now is as good a time as any."

"Gibbs! I'm serious too. I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Her voice held a pleading tone in it.

Gibbs wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders and led her to a chair, lightly pushing her into it. He stood over her and pinned her with a concerned look. "No, Mak, it's not okay. And not only that, it shouldn't be okay with you either. You should understand why you're disciplined by an authority figure and we really didn't have time to discuss it. I don't want you walking around on eggshells around me, thinking I'm going to do that again."

"I'm not!" she snapped.

Gibbs stared at her. His intense gaze made her drop her chin and fidget uncomfortably. He pulled over his stool and sat in front of her with a kind smile on his face. "It wasn't because you were suspended from school. It wasn't even because you cheated and lied." Makayla's bottom lip trembled. "It was because of the defiant disrespect towards your aunt. Your Aunt Jenn was trying…"

Makayla shook her head. "She wasn't trying at all…" she muttered under her breath."

He lifted a brow. "Not in the beginning, I agree, but she still deserved your respect. I needed you to trust me and show her your sketchbook. Sweetie, I knew she would change her tune once she saw concrete proof of how good you are. "

"I was mad…"

"No kidding. You were completely out of control."

She groaned, "As soon as I was caught cheating I knew it was a mistake. I panicked." Tears swam in her eyes. "Then you got mad at me because I never asked permission to stay here and then Aunt Jenn freaked…things just went from bad to worse."

"I'm sorry about that. I probably wasn't thinking as clearly as I should have been either. I was in a lot of pain with my shoulder," he attempted to explain.

"Yah, I know." Makayla's face reddened, looking guilty and moving her Adidas shoe around in the sawdust on the floor.

Gibbs sobered. "I sensed you were pushing me a little more than you might have if I wasn't injured." He leaned against the hull of the boat as he pinned her with a look that made her squirm, confirming his thoughts from the night. "Was I right to think that?"

Her face reddened further and she didn't look up at him. "Maybe…" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Gibbs gave an inaudible sigh, reached out and tipped up her chin so they were looking at each other eye to eye. "That was a bad call on your part, wasn't it?" Makayla blinked away a fresh onslaught of tears and nodded. He released her chin. "Unfortunately for you, you lucked out and ended up receiving a good dose of my hand. I probably shouldn't have been so hard on you." Gibbs didn't have any regrets about his actions, but he did realize he'd given her a serious hard spanking, probably more than she deserved given the situation. His pain tolerance had reached its' threshold and had driven him to be harsher than he might have been under different circumstances. He knew Makayla had been hedging her bets that he wouldn't do anything and that had only irritated him further at the time.

Makayla licked her lips slowly and then heaved a loud sigh muttering, "I wouldn't exactly call that lucking out," under her breath before saying, "It's really okay, Agent Gibbs. It's no big deal."

He smirked and patted her hand, grateful that she didn't seem to have any lingering animosity towards him. He felt sure she wouldn't press her luck with him again any time soon. "Tell me about your dad. I met your mom years ago when your Aunt was a probie but I've never had the pleasure of meeting him."

Makayla's eyes widened in amused curiosity. "My aunt was your probationary agent?"

Gibbs' eyes twinkled as he nodded. "Yup."

She whistled. "You need to tell me about that sometime."

Gibbs laughed. "It's a date. Now, stop stalling and tell me about your dad."

Makayla shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "There isn't much to tell. He's a brilliant attorney, and he's never lost a case in his entire career." She seemed to be bragging, her eyes holding a shimmer of unbridled pride.

"I've heard that. Tim tells me he's been working on some complicated problems with a team in the UK…something to do with a shoddy batch of medicine, is it?"

"My parents are helping a group in India. Apparently, a lot of people got really sick; some even died because of the lack of proper safety studies. My dad said that the people have weak enough immune systems already and they need high-quality medicine, not the awful junk they got." Makayla's face shone with devotion and Gibbs realized how much Makayla admired her father. It was at that moment that Gibbs began to put things together in his mind.

"You're really proud of your dad, aren't you?"

She nodded but tears flooded her eyes again. "Sure I am. Who wouldn't be proud of all the great stuff he does, but the thing is I always disappoint him, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs gently cupped the girl's chin in his hand. "I don't know your dad, Mak, but since I am a dad, I can tell you this, dads love their kids a lot. I can't imagine your father being disappointed in such a great kid like you."

Tears fell down her cheeks. "If my parents are returning home to deal with me, trust me, my dad is not going to be happy at all."

"I can respect that but that doesn't mean he's disappointed in who you are as a person, honey. He might be upset with your choices but never with you personally." Gibbs released the girl's chin and thumbed away some tears on her cheeks. "Think about Aimee for a minute. Would you agree that she's made some poor choices?" Makayla sucked in her bottom lip and nodded, blinking away more tears. "Do you think I'm disappointed in her?"

Makayla shook her head. "It's not the same, Agent Gibbs. Aimee is just a little kid and so much bad stuff has happened to her. You can hardly blame her for her bad decisions."

"Bad things happen to people all the time but it's never an excuse to make bad choices…"

Makayla was quiet a moment then she blinked back tears. "My dad is going to kill me for my bad choices."

"Well, let's discuss that. Talking about the worst case scenario might help it feel less scary. Waiting to face the music can be tough but we both know your dad isn't really going to kill you." Gibbs smirked a little and patted Makayla's knee. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Tears flooded Makayla's eyes again and her lower lip trembled. Gibbs' heart melted at the young teen's sudden look of panic. "They're never gonna let me take art again…"

"Well, I thought you said your mom was the one who threatened that? I believe your aunt Jenn has you covered with your mom. I wouldn't even worry about that one, Mak." Gibbs didn't just believe that; he knew it. Jenny Shepard had been genuinely amazed by Makayla's ability and if he knew Jenn, she wasn't going to let her sister away with squandering good talent. "What about your dad?" he continued, "What's the worse you think he will do? Spank you?" In Gibbs' mind that was pretty much the worst case scenario in any kids mind and waiting for that kind of punishment was a heavy load.

Makayla's face paled and she fought to gain control of the tears flooding down her face. "I-I dunno…I don't think he would…but maybe…" She dissolved into sobs and Gibbs enveloped her into a warm embrace. He raked his fingers through her hair and rocked her as she cried. "I'm scared. I've never done anything this bad before, Agent Gibbs, so I really don't know what he's gonna do."

"Are you afraid of your dad?" asked Gibbs, feeling concerned about her sudden breakdown. Michael Wallace wasn't abusive was he? Or was this just teenage angst and drama? Surely Jenn would know if the guy was rough with his kids. Gibbs rubbed circles on her upper back in an attempt to calm her down.

The sobbing girl shook her head frantically. Gibbs relaxed a little and continued to rub her back. After a minute or so, Makayla began to gain control again but her breaths shuddered as she pulled away from Gibbs.

"Feel better?" he asked, knowing that she'd been holding in that emotion for a while and was probably hiding her apprehension from her aunt. One thing he noticed about the Shepard women, they could hide anything to keep their pride intact.

Makayla nodded and wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve.

"Let's call your dad," said Gibbs, suddenly coming to a firm decision.

Makayla's red face paled once again and she shook her head adamantly. "No, no, no, please don't, Agent Gibbs. He's gonna be so mad…"

Gibbs shook his head and pulled his cell out of his pocket. "I don't think so, kiddo. If it were me, my heart would be aching to talk to you. Listen to me, Mak; yes, he's probably upset with you but trust me, he's just as anxious to find out what's going on with you. You said yourself that you've never done anything this bad before. That tells me that he'll know something's wrong with his girl. What's his number?"

Makayla shook her head with a pleading look on her face.

"I can always call Jenn and she'll tell me…" he threatened lightly.

"Please, no…" she whimpered again.

Gibbs rested his hand on his knee. "Waiting in fear of the unknown is much worse, honey. I get you're afraid but your fears will be laid to rest when you hear his voice. Trust me." Gibbs sincerely hoped his gut wasn't leading him astray. She said she wasn't afraid of him so on some level that meant they had a good relationship. Jenn never mentioned anything about the guy being anything other than a good father. It sounded like the man was hard on his girls but that didn't mean that he didn't love them.

Reluctantly, Makayla reached out a trembling hand and Gibbs handed her his cell. She looked at it for a moment with tears falling down her cheeks. Her lower lip trembled and she hiccupped as she dialled the number.

Gibbs smiled at her in encouragement. "Atta girl." He waited as he heard the phone ring and then heard it connect. A business-like voice answered with a congenial greeting. He knew the other man would have caller ID and would be expecting Gibbs to answer.

"H-hi, daddy. It's me, Makayla…" her trembling voice trailed off and a new flood of tears washed down her cheeks, tracing the path of the others.

"Kayley, are you okay? I tried to call you several times today but no one is answering at your aunt's house…" Makayla shifted on the stool and Gibbs could see her hands trembling.

"H-how mad is mom?" she said.

Gibbs heard the man sigh loudly, indicating that that topic was burdensome to him. "Let's not talk about that right now. I just want to be sure you're okay."

"I-I'm fine, daddy. I'm staying at Agent Gibbs house…"

"Why?" The man sounded concerned.

"Aunt Jenny has a really big case right now so he said I can stay with him."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. Gibbs speculated he was digesting that nugget of information or he was lost in other thoughts, then he said, "Can you just tell me why, Kayley?" The man's voice was soft and filled with what sounded like sincere compassion. All of the concerns Gibbs had about Wallace flew away at that moment.

Makayla shivered and dissolved into sobs. "I-I'm s-so s-sorry, d-daddy."

Gibbs stood to his feet and went to walk to the steps to give them time alone. It was as he'd suspected. Michael Wallace's voice wasn't the sound of an angry man but of a concerned father trying to understand. Gibbs felt relief wash over him. Wallace would be a help, not a hindrance which left Jenn's sister the discordant one. Jenn had told him more than once that Julia Wallace was a cantankerous woman and now he understood.

As Gibbs mounted the stairs, he locked eyes with Makayla who was asking her father if he was going to punish her. He smiled when he heard the man's shocked reply. He winked at Makayla as relief flooded her face. Gibbs was an old fashioned man and often stood alone in his old fashioned ways but even he wouldn't have punished Makayla for cheating under the circumstances. Unusual behaviour in children was a warning sign and any good parent realized that.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs flipped the page on his newspaper as he absentmindedly stirred his lemon slice around in his tea. He'd really craved coffee but knew he wouldn't sleep if he indulged so late at night. He glanced at the clock when he heard soft footsteps on the stairs. It was nearly half past eleven. It was late and he was tired. Makayla appeared at the top of the landing and she smiled when she saw him. Immediately she flung herself into his arms and hugged him tight enough to take his breath away.

"I take it things went well with your dad?" he said with a chuckle, returning the exuberant hug.

Makayla pulled away with a large grin on her face. "How'd you get so smart, Agent Gibbs?"

He shrugged. "It's a gift." He winked at her.

She laughed and hugged him again. Gibbs pulled her in close and whispered in her ear. "I'm proud of you. That was hard and you did it!"

Makayla straightened again and pulled up a chair to sit. She yawned and rested her chin in her hand. "He has a few more meetings he has to attend before they can come home."

"I see."

"My mom's going to kill me…" Gibbs lifted a brow once again and Makayla corrected herself. "Okay, maybe not kill me but my dad said I'd better be ready for a rip-roaring fight."

"Is he going to be any help with that?" asked Gibbs, concern in his voice.

Makayla smiled. "I think so."

"So, what did you tell him?"

Makayla yawned again. "Everything…I even told him about running away and how you didn't take too kindly to that…and about what you did…"

Gibbs bit back a smirk. "I see. What did he say about that?"

Her face flushed. "He said he'd have done the same thing and that he can't wait to meet you." Makayla made a face and then giggled. "I think you two are gonna like each other."

"Sounds like it." Gibbs stifled a yawn as well. "Feeling a little lighter now?"

Makayla nodded. "Much."

"Okay, how about we both get some sleep. I don't know about you but I'm whipped."

Makayla nodded again then stood to her feet. "Before you go, I want to show you something. Stay here, 'kay?"

Gibbs perked up a little and nodded.

Makayla disappeared from the room and returned several minutes later holding out a folder. Gibbs took it with questions in his eyes.

"Open it," she encouraged.

Gibbs opened the folder and felt tears spring to his eyes. The one other time he'd seen a picture of him that Makayla had drawn, it had been a caricature, accentuating his flawed features. This time she had drawn a pencil stretch of him when he was planing his boat. He gasped silently when he saw the look of serenity on his face. He hadn't realized how completely at peace he was when he was woodworking. Makayla had seemed to capture a part of him...well, not just a part of him but a feeling…an emotion.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Mackie, it's amazing. I love it," he managed to choke out through the boulder of emotion growing in his throat. Her talent was uncanny; he wasn't an art enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination, but Makayla's work evoked emotions in him he didn't even realize he had. Drawing portraits wasn't just about capturing an image of a person, it was creating a feeling…an emotion…truly depicting the person for who they are. Anyone could draw a picture…but this was…this was more. "How…when did you draw this?"

Makayla fidgeted a little before she spoke. "The night after you hurt your arm…I went to look at how you were doing. You passed out on the couch before anyone left, and I wanted to see if you were okay. I snuck downstairs and you weren't there anymore but I found you working on your boat, so I sat on the landing and drew a sketch. You were so engrossed that you never heard me…"

Gibbs looked up at the girl and then back down at the picture, taking in every detail. "I'm not wearing my sling…"

She shrugged, "I didn't think you needed to remember that…I wanted you to remember how much you love the work…how you look when you're deep in the thick of it. It's like nothing else in the whole world matters…like it's just you and your boat."

Gibbs stared at the expression on his face and in his eyes…it was amazing…the twinkle in his eye and the fine wrinkles around his eyes and face…the determined countenance on his face…the look of serenity…peace…tranquility…all of which were the emotions that he felt when he was lost in a project….feelings that he never shared with anyone. Gibbs cleared his throat slowly, "It's incredible, Mackie."

"You really like it?"

Tears welled in his eyes. Never before had artwork elicited such an emotional response from him. Not even Kate's artwork had affected him like this and hers was good and had made his heartache. But Makayla's work was…he didn't even have the words to describe it…her work was enchanting. Somehow this young teen girl had figured out what art really was…it was about the emotions, the experience and the thoughts.

"Yes, kiddo, I really like it. Thank you."

Happiness sparkled in Makayla's eyes. "I'm glad." With those final words, she kissed his cheek and disappeared from the kitchen leaving Gibbs alone with the picture and his thoughts.


	51. Chapter 51

The sun shone brightly and, despite being mid-November, it cast welcoming warmth over him. It had been a long time since he'd been able to be outside to enjoy the uncharacteristically warm autumn weather. Gibbs lifted his face up to the sky and felt the warmth on his skin. Both the sun and the physical work made him feel alive. His shoulder still burned but the throb had settled into a bearable ache he could live with. He'd tossed aside the sling that morning and settled into some good hard physical labour. It was good for him to stay busy and feel useful. He had a houseful of kids to contend with and it motivated him to get up early to work and think about how he was going to balance his houseful. Sharing a room with a teenage boy was only going to last for so long before they both lost their congeniality. He needed a solution for the interim. He'd decided he'd clean out his woodshed and take stock of what he needed for the project. He'd already secured a contractor to put an addition on and he wanted to know what kind of lumber he had on hand.

"Need any help?"

Gibbs looked up from what he was doing to see Riley walking up. The young man looked considerably more rested than he'd looked the night before. Gibbs was glad to see it. The kid had had a rough go of it and deserved some peace and rest. Gibbs intended to see that Riley got it.

"You're up early.' He commented, entering the shed once again and carrying out more lumber. "Didn't expect to see you up until noon." Gibbs smirked at him but Riley remained somber.

"I heard you get up."

"Didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," said Riley, walking into the shed behind him. "Marine training has a way of making you an early bird, whether you like it or not." Gibbs nodded and couldn't help but chuckle. Riley definitely had a point there. Gibbs didn't remember sleeping in since he joined the Marines. Riley eyed him quietly for a moment before saying, "So, you really do have a woodshed." The boy blinked, adjusting his eyes to the dimness of the outbuilding as he looked around. The large shed was filled with lumber, tools and other odds and ends. Everything was perfectly stacked and organized with plenty of room to move around. Gibbs was a disciplined person with everything and even his shed showed how orderly he was.

Gibbs chuckled. "Yep, I do. Didn't believe me?" He pointed to a pile of chopped up hardwood in the corner. "Even got some wood for campfires. Maybe we can have one tonight and roast some marshmallows or something." Gibbs looked at the teen's face and couldn't help chuckling some more. The look of disbelief was uncanny. "You'll soon discover that I always say what I mean, Riley."

The teenager shrugged off the words. "What are you doing with all this lumber?"

Gibbs grabbed some more 2X4s and indicated what Riley could grab as well. "I was thinking of closing in the back porch and insulating it for you. That way you could have your own space. It won't take much work. How does that sound to you?"

"You don't need to go to all this extra work for me. I've been on my own a long time now. Once I get a job, I can pay my own way and get a place of my own." Riley followed Gibbs outside with a load in his arms.

Gibbs dropped the lumber on the ground and wiped his brow. "Ry, enough of that talk, okay? The paperwork is in progress and as of sometime this week, I'll be your guardian until you're 18. We made an agreement with your mom, and I expect you to follow through with it. Remember our deal."

Riley dropped the load he was carrying and stuck his hands in his pockets. Gibbs had trouble reading the expression on his face but it was clear Riley wasn't comfortable or pleased with the agreement.

"Contractors should be here this afternoon so let's just pull out the lumber that I have and leave it here. They'll use what I have and order more."

Riley's eyes widened. "You hired contractors?"

"I'd have built it myself but I'm not sure how long this nice weather will stay with us." Gibbs looked up at the cloudless blue sky and shielded his eyes from the sun. "I wouldn't complain if we had a few more weeks of this weather."

"I'll pay you back, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs sighed and looked at Riley. "You can pay me back by being a 16-year-old kid." Riley looked confused. Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his scruffy face. He hadn't taken time to shower and shave yet that day. "Look, Riley, I can't pretend to know what life was like for you back home. From what you've told me, you didn't have much time to just be a kid. Childhood is short enough. In a couple of years, you'll be responsible for yourself for the rest of your life. I'm offering you a few years of just kicking back and being a teenager. Why don't you just give it a try?"

Riley chewed his lower lip, but Gibbs didn't miss the tremble in it. "I'm not sure what that means…"

"What what means?"  
"Being a teenager. I've been taking care of myself since my brother was killed…"

Gibbs put a hand on Riley's shoulder. "It means not worrying about tomorrow. It means sleeping in and giving me attitude. It means complaining, laughing, and tossing the old pigskin in the back yard. It means making some friends, breaking curfew, asking some pretty girls out and buying your first car. Do you even have your beginners yet?"

Riley nodded. "I've had my license for a couple of years."

Gibbs patted the boy's shoulder. He wasn't sure how he was going to handle that either. He'd need to seek some legal advice on Riley's false documentation. Maybe the kid would lose his license and need to redo it again. "After breakfast, I'm taking you shopping."

Riley made a face. "Shopping?"

Gibbs went back into the shed and Riley followed. Both men grabbed another load of lumber and carried it outside. "You need new clothes, some good books to read, maybe a video game console and a cell phone. This week I can help you dust off your resume and you can apply for a part-time job if you want some spending money. No rush though. I'll give you an allowance for now. We'll sit down and discuss some rules and give you some chores, but for now, I don't care if you just loaf around and play video games or maybe join some sports teams and make some friends. Give yourself some time to kick back and relax, but come January, I want to see you sign up for some classes at the community college. You say you graduated high school? How were your marks? What classes interested you most?"

Riley still seemed stuck back at the shopping comment and stood to stare at him with his mouth gaping open. Gibbs nudged him to drop the heavy load he still held in his hands. Riley did.

"Riley?"

"I-I don't have much money, sir."

Gibbs couldn't help but chuckle again. The money thing was something the kid was really stuck on and he could appreciate that. Riley was a good kid and despite his rough start in life, his parents did a good job with him up to a certain point. It was obvious he was a small town kid used to working and not getting anything for free. Gibbs reached into his back pocket for his wallet. When he dressed for the day, he always reached for his wallet and stuck it in his back pocket. It was a habit. He held out some money towards Riley. "Now you have money." Riley shook his head, but Gibbs grabbed his hand and forced it into his palm.

Riley refused to take it. "I can't take your money, sir."

Gibbs sighed, sticking the money back into his pocket. He looked around the yard for a moment and then back at the woodshed. "Okay. I'm gonna take a shower. You have until 8 am to finish emptying the shed of the lumber. Stack it by the back porch for the contractors. If you get done early, there's a weed eater at the back of the shed. The house could use some TLC. I haven't had time to weed eat in a while." Riley's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest but Gibbs raised a hand to stop him. "Yah, I know I said that you're supposed to give me attitude, but I forgot to mention that I reserve the right to discipline for said attitude. That's the parent's job." Gibbs smirked when Riley's face paled and his eyes went to the woodshed once again. "Get to work and by breakfast, you will have earned the money."

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs, his hair still damp, walked into the kitchen to quite the morning commotion. Janessa was standing on the counter by the sink, attempting to reach the cereal on the top shelf, likely placed there on purpose by his father to keep the youngster out of it. Aimee was cracking eggs into a frying pan with one hand while readjusting her headphones on her ear. Her blonde head bobbed in time to the music. Flour was strewn across the floor and what looked like a failed recipe of burnt pancakes lay in the sink. Abby was sitting at the table looking glum, ignoring everything around her and sipping on a coffee. Jackson Gibbs and Makayla were nowhere to be seen. Gibbs walked up behind Janessa and scooped her up into his arms.

"I seem to remember telling you not to climb on the counters, young lady," he said, placing her feet firmly back on the floor.

She pouted and crossed her arms. "Papa Jack puts my cereal way high up."

Gibbs reached the cereal and handed it to her. "That's because you sneak handfuls when you're not supposed to."

She glowered at him, but then skipped to the table to pour some in her bowl.

Gibbs pulled the headphones off Aimee's ears and snatched her mp3 player out of her back pocket, placing it on top of the fridge for safe keeping.

"Hey!" she complained. "I was listening to that."

"You know better than to play around with that when you're using the stove," he admonished, reaching out to grab the spatula to flip her burning eggs over. "Where's Papa Jack?"

As if on cue, Jackson came limping out of the pantry with some canned fruit. "I'm right here, Leroy. Welcome to the zoo."

Gibbs smirked at his dad and grabbed a mug from the cupboard to pour a cup of coffee. He walked over and refreshed Abby's only to be rewarded with a glare. He sighed inwardly. He was going to need to have a chat with Abby sooner than later. She obviously had not woken up in a good mood and was still seriously upset with him. "Want a cup, dad?"

"Already had two, son. You want any peaches?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Nope, I want bacon and eggs this morning."

"Bacon!" shouted Janessa who then proceeded to miss pouring milk into her bowl and the liquid crawled across the table and began dripping into Abby's lap.

Abby jumped up. "Janessa, watch what you're doing! Geepers!" Abby brushed the liquid off her pants and looked disgruntled.

Gibbs grabbed some paper towel and quickly began to sop up the mess. Abby continued glaring daggers at him. "Abbs, you got a problem with me?"

"Yah, I do. You have no right to make me stay here. I'm an adult in case you haven't noticed."

Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, eying her pink skull and cross boned pyjamas and her pigtails. It was hard to take her seriously when she looked all of about 16 years old at the moment, but he did recognize she was an adult.

"You wanna talk about why I'm making you stay with me?" he asked, pulling the bacon out of the fridge and grabbing a frying pan that was hanging on the wall.

"No!" she snapped and stomped from the kitchen in a huff.

Jackson Gibbs whistled. "Woo-wee, ain't she in a fine mood this morning. What set her knickers on fire?"

Gibbs began laying strips of thick bacon in the frying pan. "It's a long story, dad." One he didn't wish to discuss with his dad. Abby already had Jackson wrapped around her cute little finger. It was all he needed today to get a lecture from his dad about being too hard on Abby. He knew he needed to talk with his Goth girl and make amends were her about this week, but he also needed to set down some firm guidelines. Abby needed to know what he expected of her in his absence. Gibbs wasn't going to have Abby ruling the roost and manipulating Tim and Tony like she almost always did when he was absent. "What are your plans for today?"

Jackson sat down at the table and spooned some canned peaches into bowls for the girls. Janessa immediately stuffed her mouth full of peaches making Gibbs chuckle.

"Take smaller bites," he said, walking over and taking her spoon from her to cut up the slices into more bitesize pieces. The bacon began to sizzle behind him.

"I wanted to talk to you about that, son. I was thinking I would head home soon. Since you're gonna be off work for a while, I think I could use the break."

"But I don't wants you to go, Papa Jack," cried Janessa, tears flooding her eyes and peach juice running down her chin.

Gibbs flipped the strips of bacon and turned down the heat. He turned to see his father pull Janessa up onto his lap and wipe her little mouth with a napkin. Aimee sat quietly, looking equally glum. His girls had really grown to love having their grandfather around and truthfully, Gibbs had too.

"I'm not gonna lie, dad. I've really appreciated having you here to help out, but I certainly understand if you want to go home too. Thinking of reopening the store?"

Jackson reached out and pulled at Aimee's hair, making her giggle despite her sour face. "No, I'm thinking of selling it."

Gibbs blinked. "Selling it?"

"Yep. How would you feel if I moved here?"

Janessa perked up. "Yay! That's a good idea, Papa Jack then we can goes to the zoo all the time."

Jackson smiled and kissed Janessa blonde head.

"You mean selling the house in Stillwater?" asked Gibbs, unsure about how he felt about it. The house in Stillwater was his heritage and where he'd grown up. His mother was buried there.

Jackson hugged Janessa close. "Well, yah. You're all the family I've got, Leroy and these here young'uns need their ole grandpa close by to make sure you do right by 'em."

Gibbs felt a smile pulling at his lips. The thought of his father leaving had actually made him nearly panic. As much as he knew he could handle things, he had come to depend on his father a lot. Maybe too much. He'd grown to appreciate his father again, and he would have really missed him had he left. But selling his childhood home and his father's business? Was that the right thing to do?

Gibbs pushed the crispy bacon around the pan and pulled it from the burner. "Are you sure, dad? I don't want you to feel like you have to sell. I can handle things here just fine; in fact, I have placed an ad to hire a housekeeper in January."

"Leroy, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. I want to be here to watch these girls grow up. I missed a lot with Kelly…" Gibbs felt his pulse speed up at the mention of Kelly's name but surprisingly, the piercing pain never came with it. "And I don't want to miss anything with Janessa and Aimee."

Aimee made a face. "A housekeeper? What do you mean, Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked at his blonde-haired spitfire sensing she didn't like the idea. "Someone to make meals, keep the house clean and help tag team watching you girls when I'm not home. Once January rolls around, I will be working and you girls will be in school. Life is going to settle into a very busy routine. A housekeeper will help us keep on track."

Aimee scowled at him. "Sounds an awful lot like a babysitter to me and I don't need a babysitter."

Just then the back door opened and Riley came in looking a little bit sweaty from his morning chores. He looked at Gibbs briefly before walking to the sink and washing his hands.

"Agent Gibbs, I saw Makayla ride off down the street on an old bike. You wouldn't happen to have an extra one kicking around, would ya? I'd like to scope out the neighbourhood."

Gibbs frowned. He hadn't even seen Makayla this morning. Where would she go this time of morning and why wouldn't she have asked permission or at least told him where she was going?

"A housekeeper isn't a babysitter, Aimee. We'll talk about it later, okay?" He patted the top of the glowering girl's head. "Have you girls talked with Mak this morning? Did she mention going anywhere?"

Aimee stood to her feet and snatched a piece of bacon from the frying pan as Gibbs scooped it out onto some paper towel. Riley grabbed a plate from the counter and settled down at the table quietly.

"She said she needed to talk to someone and that she'd be back in a few hours," said Aimee, putting the crispy bacon in her mouth.

Gibbs sighed. Rules were something Makayla seemed to overlook and it irritated the crap out of him. He set the plate of bacon on the table and sat down beside Riley. He threaded his fingers together as his lips set in a firm line.

"Something wrong, Agent Gibbs?" asked Riley, filling his own plate with bacon, eggs and fruit.

Gibbs looked at his girls and Riley while feeling his aggravation rise up in him. "You three don't deserve the cross words I'm about to say, but you can take your annoyance out on Makayla later. No one in this house leaves this property without telling me. Got it? Better yet, you better be asking my permission and not just telling me. Don't test me on that!"

Aimee's eyes widened at Gibbs' cross tone. Janessa sank deeper into Jackson's chest and looked wide-eyed at him as well. Riley's face was deadpan as he sat staring at him.

Gibbs rose to his feet and tossed his napkin on the table. "I'm going to look for Makayla, dad," he said as he went to exit the kitchen.

"Leroy, you should eat first."

Gibbs grabbed his keys from the side table. "I'll eat later."

"Mind if I take the girls with me to Stillwater?" asked Jackson quickly before Gibbs could leave the room.

Gibbs froze in his tracks. "That's a four-hour drive, dad. You sure you want to do that on your own? Why don't you wait until later this week and I'll take ya."

Jackson shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. "Leroy, I'll be fine. I may not be a spring chicken, but I can handle myself just fine. I promised Loretta that I'd show off the girls." Loretta was Jackson Gibbs' on again off again 'not a girlfriend' friend. Gibbs always enjoyed hearing about his father's escapades with the bossy woman who had stolen his father's heart. Gibbs massaged the back of his neck as he contemplated the usefulness of his dad taking the girls with him. It would give him some time to take Riley shopping and deal with Abby.

Gibbs looked at Aimee and Janessa. "You girls up to a road trip with Papa Jack?"

Janessa's eyes were as big as saucers. "I gots to pack my suitcase. Can I bring Ellie?" Ellie was Janessa's stuffed elephant, currently her favourite stuffed animal.

Aimee looked pensive.

"You positive about this, dad?"

Jackson grumbled under his breath. "We'll be gone two days, Leroy."

"Do I have to go?" asked Aimee softly, looking at Gibbs with uncertainty.

"Nope, but decide quickly because Papa Jack isn't going to sit around all day waiting for you to decide." Gibbs squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm going to look for Mak now. Hopefully I will be back before you all leave. Wanna come with me, Riley?"

Riley popped his head up from his plate. "Uh, yah, sure. Okay."

XxXxNCISxXxX

"Are you angry, Agent Gibbs?"

Riley's voice pulled him out of his revelry and Gibbs blinked a few times not realizing he'd been so lost in thought. "No, not really…just thinking."

"You sure look it. What are you planning to do about Makayla?"

Gibbs looked at Riley and saw a hint of fear in his eyes. Gibbs forced himself to relax his shoulders and release his tight grip on the steering wheel. He really didn't know what he was going to say when he found Makayla, but he needed to dial back his annoyance. "I guess I'm going to talk to her and remind her that she can't just take off like that. I need to know where she is. I can't keep her safe if I don't know where she is."

"Is she in some kind of danger?"

Gibbs stared at the road and mumbled under his breath, "Just from me," but to Riley, he said, "No, I just need to know where she is." From the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Riley nod and turn to look out the window quietly. He didn't think he could explain himself to a kid as young as Riley. He would never understand what it's like to be a parent or know what it's like to not know where your child was. Gibbs would be forever haunted by Aimee's disappearance and kidnapping. He would never be able to articulate to anyone how he felt.

"The answer to your question is yes," said Gibbs, keeping his eyes focused on the road in front of him. Riley turned to look at him but furrowed his brows in confusion. "You asked if I had another bicycle. I do and you're welcome to use it anytime. Feel free to dig around the garage all you like. I tend to be a bit of a packrat; you might find other things that might interest you."

A small smile crept across Riley's face. "Thanks."

Gibbs scanned the scenery around him as he continued to drive around, wracking his brain to think of where Makayla would go and why.

"Look, I think that's her," said Riley pointing out the window in the distance.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes, squinting in the sunlight and heaved a sigh of relief when he realized that it was indeed Makayla. He sped up and pulled alongside the girl, opening the passenger window. Makayla paled when she saw him and froze in her tracks. Gibbs pulled the vehicle to a stop and turned off the engine. "Stay here," he commanded to Riley and got out.

Makayla held up her hands. "Agent Gibbs, let me explain before you kill me."

Gibbs towered over the auburn-haired girl and crossed his arms. He was in no mood for anything but truth right now; watching Makayla squirm, he knew she understood his patience was thin and she was walking on glass. A quick glance into the distance, however, made him sigh and drop his arms. Makayla was walking away from her school. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew already what she'd been up to this morning.

"I needed to talk to the principal, Agent Gibbs and apologize. I needed to go and admit what I did without malice…last time I was rude and well, it wasn't fair to him."

Gibbs reached out and lightly smacked her on the back of the head. His face was stern. "Next time, tell me you're leaving, Mak!" Makayla flinched and dropped her eyes to the pavement. Gibbs softened. "Hey! Look at me." She looked up with tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm proud of you. That took a lot of guts. What did he say?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as a tear escaped down her cheek. "I still have to serve the full suspension but he said he will let me rewrite the exam, and he will make sure it doesn't stay on my permanent record. I'll have a lot of work to do in order to catch up though…"

Gibbs smiled. "That's great, Mackie. I know you can do it! How do you feel about that?"

"I'm willing to finish out the year." She paused and bit her lip for a moment. "I just don't want to go back next year and I'm really hoping my mom will listen to me."

Gibbs drew her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "I hope so too, kiddo.

Makayla hugged him back and sighed loudly. "You looked like you were ready to knock me into the middle of next week…"

Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment and held her. Overreaction seemed to come to him a little too easily these days. He just had zero tolerance for runaway kids. When he didn't know where his kids were, he panicked. Maybe he needed to talk to someone about that. His patience and endurance had been tested beyond what he could bear. He had nothing left.

"Yah, well, if you take off without telling me again, you will find out exactly what the middle of next week looks like up close and personal." He pulled her away and gave her a stern shake for emphasis. Makayla blinked and her face paled again. Gibbs picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder making her shriek and break into giggles as he walked back to his truck.

XxXxNCISxXxX

When they arrived back to the house, Gibbs shooed the Makayla and Riley into the house to get ready to go shopping. Makayla was excited at the prospect and Riley was indifferent. Gibbs had to chuckle to himself as he unloaded the bike Makayla took and put it in the garage. It was a stereotypical response. He liked shopping about as much as the next guy too. When he flicked on the light inside the garage he noticed a glum-looking Abby sitting on an old tire rim. She blinked in the light and crossed her arms when she saw him.

"You're hell bent on being in a bad mood about this instead of taking it for what it is…"

She narrowed her green eyes at him. "Which is?"

He sighed not sure he even wanted to go down this road with Abby. "Abbs, you know full well what you did was wrong and I'm well within my rights to discipline you for it. You also know that nothing about me is typical. I do things my way. That is never going to change…"

She stood to her feet and turned to leave.

"Abby, you will regret that…" he warned her. She knew better than to walk away from him when he was talking to her. She stopped and turned to face him with a mutinous expression flooding her face. "Wipe that look off your face. You can act like an adult and we'll deal with this like adults or I can toss you over my shoulder like I did Mak. Makes no difference to me. In the end, we still do things my way."

Abby's face softened and she relaxed her shoulders. "Gibbs," she whined.

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't Gibbs me. I need you to promise me that you're going to not give Tony a hard time while I'm off…"

"I never give him…"

"Abbs, don't even go there. We both know you will give him the run around like nobody's business and he won't even know it but _I WILL_ , so here are the rules. You will not go vigilante on any case no matter what. You will not go on any approved or unapproved field trips without running it by the director. Do you understand?"

Abby's face reddened. "But Gibbs, those dogs…"

Gibbs shook his head and stepped closer to her face. "Nope, there are no buts here. It's yes Gibbs only. We can look into the kennel and make sure everything is on the up and up but you are not to do it by yourself, understand?"

Abby wrinkled her nose and huffed indignantly. "Fine, you win."

Gibbs chewed on the inside of his lip, not certain if her words were a victory or a dare. He was going to hope the former was true. He wasn't sure he could take any more mutinies in the ranks. "Good, now, come shopping with me. I'm out of my element here. Riley needs just about everything and I don't even know where to start."

A large gleeful smile broke out across Abby's face. "Shopping?"

Gibbs chuckled. He was in trouble now. "Go, get ready."

He stared after her as she hurried back into the house. When the inside door opened, he could hear Aimee and Janessa's laughter echoing out into the garage and it made him smile. They had all come a long way over the last couple of months. He had been pushed to his limits, tested beyond comprehension and was still standing. He had a lot to be thankful for and he planned to make the best of things. The worst was behind them all and the future was as bright as the sunshine.

 _ **So, readers, we have reached the end of Gibb's Test. I thought now was a good place to conclude this story.**_

 _ **Thanks for being such faithful readers. I appreciated all your reviews!**_

 _ **Let me know if you would still like me to continue in this universe.**_

 _ **Tell me who your favourite characters are...who did you enjoy reading about...do you have any unfinished questions...what do you want to see resolved? I will try to answer those questions and resolve those storylines :)**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **Blessings and love from Jenny Wrens :)**_

 _ **Thanks for all your feedback!**_

 _ **I will begin a sequel soon beginning with Makayla and her storyline...this story was getting too long and it will be easier for me to begin another.**_

 _ **Stay tuned :)**_


End file.
